Lexington County 


Economic and Social 



J. E. STOCKMAN 
D. S. SHULL 


University of South Carolina 
May 15, 1923 


Bulletin University of South Carolina—Issued Semi-Monthly. 
No. 122. May 15, 1923. Second Class Mail Matter. 









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LEXINGTON COUNTY 

Economic and Social 



J. E. STOCKMAN 

IN A - ; 

D. S. SHULL 


1 

>♦ 4 

A Laboratory Study in the Department of Rural Social Science 
of the University of South Carolina 

MAY 15, 1923 





yocn 


LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
RECEIVED 

JAN 9 1C24 




DOCUMENTS DIVISION 








A Stretch of Lexington County Roads 
















TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

Preface....t.. 5 

I. Historical Background of Lexington County.. 7 

II. Lexington County Towns___ 14 

III. Natural Resources and Industries. 22 

IV. Facts About the Folks...._....... 32 

V. Wealth and Taxation.—.-....— 39 

VI. Schools ____ 49 

VII. Lexington Agriculture ___ 59 

VIII. Balance Sheet in Food and Feed Production—. 66 

IX. Evidences of Progress—...- 75 

X. Lexington County Problems— - 83 































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PREFACE 


The authors are indebted to Judge C. M. Efird and Mr. J. B. 
Shealy for material furnished for use in the preparation of the 
brief history of Lexington County. To Mayor J. Frank Kneece 
of Batesburg, and Mayor L. S. Bolt of Leesville, they wish to ex¬ 
press their appreciation of the data for the accounts of these towns. 
They also wish to acknowledge their obligation to all of the public 
spirited men and women of the county, and of the environs who 
.furnished them with encouragement and valuable information not 
readily obtainable. 

To Dr. Wilson Gee, Professor of Rural Social Science at the 
University of South Carolina, they owe much for aid in the prep¬ 
aration of this bulletin. He was constantly present with valuable 
suggestions, encouragement and criticisms. Through his effective 
instruction and cooperation it was possible to prepare this survey. 

Much credit is also due Mr. R. H. Ramsey, Jr., Assistant in the 
Department of Rural Social Science, who was with them in the de¬ 
partmental library most of the time, offering valuable suggestions, 
and helping them to find the required material. 

To attempt to take stock of an entire county is not an easy task. 
The writers realize that there are many imperfections in this study, 
but they have endeavored that they should not be ones of inaccuracy. 
Since the authors are both native sons of Lexington County, the 
work has been with them a labor of love. They have endeavored 
faithfully to portray the economic and social conditions of their 
home county. Along with the signs of progress have been con¬ 
sidered the problems and evidences of backwardness. If their 
efforts are successful, even in a small measure, toward awakening 
the thinking citizens of the county to a thoughtful review of its 
vital problems, they will consider the great amount of time spent 
in this study to have been well worth while. 


J. E. STOCKMAN, 
D. S. SHULL, 


University of South Carolina, 
April 5, 1923. 








I. 


HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF LEXINGTON 
COUNTY 


J. E. Stockman. 


The early history of Lexington and her settlers is a very inter¬ 
esting one. Lexington is among the oldest counties in the State. 
Her history as a county dates back to March 12, 1785, when the 
General Assembly passed an Act laying off several counties, and 
appointed commissioners to erect the public buildings. At that 
time, what is now known as Lexington County, was a part of 
Orangeburg County, known as Saxa-Gotha township. 

Under the Act of the Assembly, in 1785, Lexington became a 
county. It looks as if the county might have been called Saxa- 
Gotha as that was the name of the township, so named in honor of 
Saxa-Gotha, Germany. But to do honor to the Battle of Lexing¬ 
ton, where the first blood of the Revolution was shed, the new 
county 'was called Lexington. This new county began at the 
mouth of Beaver Creek, followed the Orangeburg County line for 
some distance, then led off to Ninety-Six, and from there to the 
Saluda River. From here it extended to the Union County line 
as far as Broad River and then down to the Congaree. Several 
changes have since been made from the original boundary lines 
of the county. 

The first court house and jail were built at Granby; here was the 
county seat. Granby was located just across the Congaree River 
from Columbia, about where the present town of Cayce is situated. 
Here the British had a fort during the Revolutionary War which 
was finally captured by the Americans. Mr. Cayce’s house was 
located and is still standing on a hill a little distance north of 
what was once the prosperous little coast town of Granby. In this 
house can still be seen a hole in its northern end that was made by 
a small cannon ball when the fort at Granby was beseiged. 

Granby was at the head of navigation on the Congaree River, 
with a ferry on the road leading to the up-country. Considerable 
business was carried on at Granby. It was one of the most pro¬ 
gressive towns in the State. Some of the merchants made fortunes 




s 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 


and lived in good style. The automobile had not yet made its way 
into Granby, but the stately carriage, beautiful horses and a self- 
important colored gentleman at the lines were a very common 
sight on the streets of Granby. The people were well educated 
and formed a circle of refined society. Among them were the 
Bells, Hanes, Arthurs, Fridays, Seibels and others, whose repre¬ 
sentatives go to make up a part of the present population of Co¬ 
lumbia and its vicinity. 

But as nations rise and fall, so do cities. Aristocratic Granby 
had to fall. She had her day of glory, but now Granby is for¬ 
gotten. When the state Capitol, the South Carolina College (now 
the University of South Carolina), and the sessions of the Supreme 
Court were established in Columbia, Granby began to decline. It 
had always been unhealthy because of its location, and sanitation 
and drainage had not reached very high standards of efficiency in 
that day. 

Then the county seat was removed to Lexington and Granby 
became a deserted village, so that in 1822 but two or three stores 
remained, those of Miller and Senn, and Pou and Seibels. Thus 
was the decay of Granby slow but sure as time has proven. 

When the county seat was removed from Granby to Lexington, 
only a cheap, temporary court house and jail were built. By an 
Act of the Legislature in 1833, a committee of three were appointed 
to go ahead with the building of a new court house and jail. These 
buildings were completed shortly afterwards and are still in use. 
The stones of which they are built were taken from a quarry on the 
south side of Saluda River. 

The early settlers of Lexington County were almost entirely 
German, coming directly from the Palatinate. They brought with 
them many of the German customs and their religion which they 
have established in the county. Among these early settlers, we 
find the names of many families that are still prominent in the 
county. Some of the early families who came into the county be- 
between 1750 and 1810 according to location are: north side of the 
Saluda River, Shealys, Harmans, Summers, Koons, Eptings, Dre- 
hers, Snelgroves, Bickleys, Wises, Kelleys and others; south side 
of Saluda River, Landfords, Millers, Lybrands, Hayes, Hendrixes, 
Stacks, Wingards and others; in the Dutch Fork section, the Lor- 
icks, Shealys, Counts, Shulers, Meetzes, Huffmans, Fricks, Leap- 
harts, Wessingers, Lindlers, Bickleys, Slices, Summers, Fulmers, 
Mayers, Amicks and others. 

Little is known of the early history of these settlers. Scott, in 
his “Random Recollections,” tells many interesting facts dating 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 


9 


back as far as 1822. This book will be of great interest to any 
Lexingtonian who wants to know more about his fore-fathers. 

In 1822 Lexington, twelve miles west of Columbia, on a stage 
road to Augusta was a new village in the Sand Hills. In the same 
year George Haltiwanger from the Dutch Fork held the office of 
Sheriff. Jacob Drafts was Deputy Sheriff. 

John Meetze and West Caughman, two prominent Lutheran lay¬ 
men were the chief founders of the Lexington Academy which 
later passed into the hands of Dr. Hazelius and became the South¬ 
ern Lutheran Seminary which finally found its home in Columbia. 

Adam Mayer, father of the late Dr. O. B. Mayer of Newberry, 
was one of the leading planters in the Dutch Fork section. When 
Lafayette visited the State in 1825, Captain Mayer’s troops formed 
a part of the escort that met the old general at the North Caro¬ 
lina line and accompanied him to Columbia. Captain Mayer’s 
company numbered 125 men, each mounted on a white horse and 
beautifully uniformed. 

During the early years, the settlers who came to the county were 
mostly German or their descendants. They were nearly all Luth¬ 
erans. There were not many Methodists, still fewer Baptists and 
practically none of any other denomination. Among the leading 
and still spoken of clergymen were Revs. Godfrey Dreher, Yost, 
Meetze and Efirds of the Lutheran Church and Rev. Thomas Rawl 
of the Methodist. These men did a great service among the scat¬ 
tered Lutherans and Methodists in the county. 

The people had all of the characteristics and peculiarities of their . 
fore-fathers in Germany; honesty, industry, economy, submission 
to their ruler in Church and State and a firm belief in dreams, 
signs, ghosts and witches. Many exciting incidents, some of which 
were truthful, could be related if space permitted. If interested 
in the art of folk-lore the reader is referred to Scott’s “Random 
Recollections.” 

The people worked hard and lived cheaply, buying nothing but 
absolute necessaries, except whiskey and tobacco for the men, and, 
perhaps ribbons and calico for the women. For their necessaries 
they went into debt to the stores until their crops were made, when 
they, with few exceptions, paid up at. or before New Year, and if 
a surplus remained it was laid out and not up. Somewhat later 
this money was loaned out on interest. 

The rule of honesty was so common that no one ever thought 
of locking up a house at night. During a period of 17 years there 
was only one burglary in the town of Lexington. 

Deer, wild turkey and smaller game were abundant, and every 


10 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


winter wild pigeons came up in great numbers. Moccasins or 
shoes made of dressed deer skin, furnished a cheap and comfort¬ 
able shoe. 

Every family had a brick oven for baking. On Saturday they 
baked the week’s supply of bread, fruit pies, etc. No winter came 
without a barrel of sauer kraut in each house. All other foods that 
could be saved were put up for winter consumption. They found 
use for little medicine of any kind. They lived the simple life. 

At weddings, which were nearly always in the forenoon, all of 
the neighbors attended with or without invitations, cards being 
unknown. All were welcome with a plentiful dinner set out, when 
the weather permitted, on a long table of boards laid on benches 
under trees in the yard. Then the young folks and some of the 
older ones “walked for a cake,” a ceremony introduced in this 
country by the Germans. 

As to their superstition, everyone could give instances of witch¬ 
craft, apparitions, and the fulfillment of dreams and signs. No 
neighborhood was without its witches. Various methods and pre- 
ventatives were used to escape the effects of the witch. 

Lexington County has the honor of claiming the resting place 
of the remains of one of the heroines of the Revolutionary War— 
Emily Geiger, who rode a horse to Ninety-Six at night and in a 
short time to deliver a message to the American officer, General 
Sumter, is buried somewhere near Cayce or in that immediate vi¬ 
cinity. The inhabitants of what is now Lexington County were 
loyal to the cause of America during the War of the Revolution, 
and many of them were good fighting men in the American Army. 
Those who distinguished themselves in the War of the Revolution, 
deserve to rank as immortals. Among these we would particularly 
mention the names of Godfrey Dreher and Gabriel Friday, devoted 
friends to the cause of liberty, and zealous partisans in the War 
of the Revolution. 

Little fighting was done on Lexington soil, with the exception 
of the British fort at Granby. General Sumter in February, 1781, 
made an attack upon this fort and destroyed some of its contents, 
but on the appearance of Lord Rawdon, he was obliged to retreat. 
After this it was beseiged by Col. Thomas Taylor. On the night 
of the 14th of May, Lieut.-Col. Lee erected a battery within 600 
yards of the fort, on which he mounted a gun. After the third dis¬ 
charge of this gun, Major Maxwell, who commanded the fort, sur¬ 
rendered. His force consisted of 352 men, a great part of which 
were royal militia. Other facts concerning Lexington’s part in 
the Revolution are not recorded and thus we know little. 

Just as Lexington had recovered from the effects of the Revo- 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 11 


lution and her people were beginning to prosper and develop, the 
War Between the States came along. The county had always 
been a stronghold of the Confederate party, so that practically all 
of the people fell in line with the cause of the Confederacy. The 
details of Lexington’s part in the war are not available, but we do 
know that the people of Lexington were generally loyal to the 
Confederacy and showed their courage in battle. A few facts con¬ 
cerning Lexington’s part in the war have been obtained. There 
were at least two companies from Lexington County; Company K 
under the command of Capt. Meetze, and Company H under the 
command of Capt. Eichelberger. It is known that this last com¬ 
pany named was in General Maxcy Greggs’ Brigade until his death 
and they were under the command of General Sam McGowan 
until the ehd of the war. The following are some of the larger 
engagements that Lexington soldiers had a part in: Gaines Mill, 
June 27th, 1862; Cold Harbour, June 28th, 1862; Manasses, August 
28th, 1862; Harper’s Ferry, September, 1862; Fredericksburg, Dec¬ 
ember 13th, 1862; Gettysburg, June, 1863; and Spotsylvania C. H., 
May 1864. Some of the leaders from Lexington County were Cap¬ 
tains Caughman, Dansler, Eichelberger, Gunter, Harmon, Koon, 
Leaphart, Lewis and Meetze. Lexington furnished her full share 
of the killed and wounded. 

There was no actual fighting on Lexington territory, but in Feb¬ 
ruary, 1865, General Sherman’s army marched through the county 
burning, plundering, and destroying. This raid left the people 
without food and stock with which to start another crop. This 
meant much suffering and hardship, but the people stood it and 
finally got on their feet again without the assistance of outsiders. 

The disastrous outcome of the War left the people impoverished, 
and the social and political life almost gone. The struggle for the 
next few years was for existence, and heroic efforts to restore law 
and order. This required patience and perseverance. The men 
who had carried the gun promptly set themselves to restore and 
rebuild their country. As the years passed by prosperity began 
to bloom in Lexington once again, and finally the Civil War and 
its consequences passed into history. 

When the United States entered the World War in 1917, Lexing¬ 
ton County responded loyally to the various causes involved in the 
war. Lexington furnished 683 white men for service in the army; 
558 of these were inducted and 125 enlisted. She furnished 390 
colored men for service in the army; 376 of these were inducted 
and 14 enlisted. Of this number, 30 whites were killed in action 
or died otherwise, and 48 were wounded. There were 20 negroes 
who died in the Service and 9 wer? wounded. Lexington had 105 


12 Lexington County : Economic and Social 




men in the Navy, and 11 officers in the Army. Besides furnishing 
almost a thousand men for government service, Lexington did her 
part in the Liberty Loan drives, Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., and other 
campaigns. The county subscribed a total of $1,083,600 in Liberty 
Loan drives, the total number of subscribers being 3,486. 

Since the close of the war Lexington has been confronted by 
many problems, principal among which is the financial condition of 
the country caused by the invasion of the boll weevil. Conditions 
in the county during the past few years have not be the best, but 
they are changing for the better, and the county is beginning to 
move forward again. 

From the early days of the county to the present time, her chief 
industry has been the raising of cotton. Other crops such as corn, 
wheat and potatoes can be raised at a profit, but during pre-boll 
weevil days cotton made the greatest returns of any of the crops. 
The price of cotton has varied from two and three cents to fifty 
cents a pound during the last century. In 1826 cotton sold in Lex¬ 
ington County for ten cents a pound. At other times, we find that 
the price would come as low as two cents. Some years, due to 
weather conditions, the crop would be greatly reduced. The low 
price of cotton and a small crop always bring hard times to the 
people of Lexington County. Though hard times have often 
come, still there has ever been few paupers in the county com¬ 
pared with the extent of the population. 

The population of the county has never been so large, and has 
always been mostly of the agricultural class. According to the 
census taken in 1820, the population was 8,083; of which 5,267 were 
whites, 2,801 slaves and 15 free blacks. The census of 1800 gave 
the county a population of 5,191, showing an increase of nearly 
3,000 in twenty years. The disposition to emigrate has never man¬ 
ifested itself. The people appear to be well satisfied to remain on 
the farms. The climate of Lexington is generally mild, and fav¬ 
orable to comfortable living and good farming. Lexington has 
never been a place of much sickness. Several instances of long¬ 
evity are on record. Many names of those who have attained to 
the century mark could be mentioned. 

The Indian names of places are all extinct, except in the instances 
of Saluda, Edisto and Congaree. The Indians that originally in¬ 
habited this part of the country, were the Congarees, a peaceful 
tribe, but who once joined in a conspiracy with the Yemassees, 
Creeks, Appalachees and other Indians, to exterminate the whites 
in 1751. The attempt, however^ failed. 

Up to 1870, the entire section of the county between Columbia 
and Augusta was without railroad facilities, and had to depend 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 13 


upon the old and slow method of private conveyance and the old 
stage coach. But in 1871 the Columbia and Augusta division of 
the Southern was built, going through by Lexington, Leesville, 
Batesburg and Trenton. This road meant much to the develop¬ 
ment of Lexington County. Without it she could never have made 
the progress that she has. Along in the eighties the people of the 
Dutch Fork section began to realize the need of better transporta¬ 
tion and traveling facilities, if they were to make the advancement 
which they expected. So in 1890 the Columbia, Newberry and 
Laurens Railroad was built, going by Chapin, Newberry and Laur¬ 
ens. This road tho limited in equipment, has meant much to 
the development of Lexington and other counties. The building 
of a railroad from some eastern point to some western point in the 
county has been talked and advocated by some. There is surely 
a need for such a road. Then the county would have good rail¬ 
road facilities running north and south, and east and west. 

During the past five years Lexington County has three times lost 
part of her territory. On two occasions a small part of the Dutch 
Fork went over to Richland County. Also a part from the same 
section went to Newberry County. This leaves not such a large 
section of the Dutch Fork in Lexington County. 

Lexington is almost 100 per cent American. Our people are, 
with a few exceptions, the descendants of the early colonists. They 
are mostly German with a few English and scattering Scotch. 
Several of the older churches in the county have large tracts of 
land deeded to them by the English in the early seventies of the 
18th Century. The greater per cent of Lexington’s population 
were born within her borders, and stay pretty close to the farm 
on which they were reared. 

In all of the wars in which South Carolina has had a part, Lex¬ 
ington has shared her full load. She played her part well during 
the struggle of the Revolutionary days. During the Civil War, 
Lexington sent into the service every man that was available and 
she saw her country devastated and pillaged by the invading army 
of Sherman. During the late war, Lexington gave freely of her 
sons and of her wealth. Lexington has an illustrious record dat¬ 
ing back to the early settlements of this nation. The people of 
Lexington County have a history that is an incentive for them to 
go forward and accomplish greater success in the future. 


II. 


' L :: !si -w 

* 

LEXINGTON COUNTY TOWNS 


J. E. Stockman. 


In 1920 there were 11 incorporated towns in Lexington County: 
Batesburg, New Brookland, Leesville, Lexington, Cayce, Swansea, 
Chapin, Irmo, Gilbert, Peak, and Summit. Batesburg is the larg¬ 
est, having a population of 3,000. New Brookland is next with 
1,793, and Summit comes last with 89. 

Even tho the towns of Lexington County are few and small, that 
does not indicate that they are not thriving, industrious little bus¬ 
iness towns. They serve chiefly their own people—the people of 
the surrounding community. It is these same country people that 
put the business in our towns to a large extent. It can be said of 
most of Lexington County towns, that they are simply overgrown 
country communities. 


Batesburg 

Batesburg is Lexington’s largest town. The town is located in 
the extreme eastern portion of the county and draws a large part 
of its business from adjoining counties. The Augusta division of 
the Southern Railroad passes through the town; also, the Colum¬ 
bia and Augusta highway. The streets are, as a whole, well kept 
and beautiful. Some of the most attractive residences in the state 
can be found in Batesburg. 

In 1900, Batesburg had a population of only 971; in 1910 the pop¬ 
ulation had increased to 1,995; and the 1920 Census reports 3,000. 
Its rapid growth during the decade is due in large measure to the 
building of manufacturing plants. The number of business houses 
has grown in proportion to the population. At present there are 
approximately 62 store buildings, and one large wholesale house. 
Tho a small town, Batesburg possesses a beautiful theatre that 
furnishes the proper sort of amusement for her people. In the 
city limits there are eight medical doctors, dentists and opticians. 

The Baptist and Methodist denominations are firmly established 
in the town. They each have handsome church buildings and 




Lexington County : Economic and Social 1§ 

their services are well attended. The Baptist church building is 
valued at approximately $10,000 and the Methodist at about $5,000. 
The Lutheran and Presbyterian denominations have their churches 
in the surrounding vicinity. The negroes also have several 

churches. 

Batesburg possesses a modern and well equipped public school 
biulding, valued at $18,000, and $3,000 worth of equipment. Just 
beyond the city limits of Batesburg and mid-way between Leesville 
and Batesburg is a consolidated High School. This is a very val¬ 
uable plant, and Batesburg did a large part towards making it pos¬ 
sible. About two miles from Batesburg is Summerland College, 
the Lutheran college in South Carolina for girls. Many of her 
student body come from Batesburg. Business men of Batesburg 
did much to bring Summerland College to Lexington County and 
near their own city. 

The telephone company gives local and long distance service to 
its patrons, besides many local lines to nearby centrals. It has Bell 
connections with all the leading towns and cities. An ice plant 
furnishes ice for all local needs and some for shipping. A bottling 
plant serves its territory by truck. 

Middleburg Mills, with a capital stock of $250,000, gives employ¬ 
ment to many people. The Batesburg Fertilizer Company, with 
a capital stock of $75,000, has done a fairly good business despite 
the decrease in fertilizer manufacturing. Batesburg possesses a 
lumber plant valued at about $50,000 that does a large business. 

Batesburg shows by her own assets that she is a thriving little 
city. The town owns real estate, buildings, machinery and other 
property valued at $42,505.12. In addition to these, its water and 
sewer plant is valued at $100,000. It has provided adequately for 
the retirement of bonds and has never defaulted or delayed an 
interest payment. 

Its outstanding bond account is $112,000. None of these bonds 
fall due before 1936, but the town has already begun retiring its 
obligations and has purchased in the open market and retired 
$8,000 of its bonds, and has provided for the retirement of $12,000 
additional. 

During 1922 the town collections were as follows: License tax, 
$2,463.34; fines and bonds, $1,534.86; city taxes, $12,004.75; and road 
taxes, $977. With this income, the city is well governed, policed 
and equipped. The city government is that of a mayor and war¬ 
dens. Several police give ample protection. 

The town and community are well served by banks. The First 
National has a capital stock of $125,000, and the Batesburg branch 
of the Bank of Western Carolina is capitalized in Aiken. Two 


16 Lexington County: Economic and Social 


good hotel accomodate those who come and go. Batesburg’s fame 
as a place to get good things to eat, especially spring chicken, 
has spread over this and adjoining states. The Batesburg Hotel 
is valued at $15,000 and the Commercial Hotel at $10,000. 

The town has an adequate supply of electric power for all pur¬ 
poses. It has the protection of a fire department. The young as 
well as the old of the town enjoy the advantages of a good public 
library. This library is supported by the contributions of her 
people. 

Batesburg is one of the best towns for its size in South Caro¬ 
lina. Its location is one of the most desirable in the Sand Hill 
Belt of the state, 32 miles from Columbia, 20 miles from Newberry 
and 54 miles from Augusta, Georgia. It stands near the highest 
point in the county. Mosquitoes and malaria of the low country 
are not found here. It is on the ridge between the low and the 
up-country, and is well watered and well drained. The winters 
are not severe and the summer’s breeze can always be felt in Bates¬ 
burg. No finer climate can be found, and those who seek health 
and happiness will do well to come to Batesburg. 

The town lies in the heart of a fine agricultural section. The 
principal products are cotton, corn, oats, melons, cantaloupes, 
peaches and potatoes. Growing peaches for market is becoming 
one of the great crops of the section. 

Leesville 

In one of the richest sections of the county is located the town 
of Leesville. The people here are known for their hospitality and 
the splendid farming lands of this section. 

The Columbia and Augusta division of the Southern Railroad 
runs through the town. It is in the upper portion of the county. 
It is also located on the splendid Columbia and Augusta highway 
which has recently been rebuilt and is a credit to any county. 

The history of Leesville begins far back in the eighties. The 
early inhabitants came chiefly from Germany and England. The 
town was first established as a trading center for the farmers of 
that locality. Farmers came here from many miles around to do 
their trading. Leesville remains largely a center of agriculture. 
She has not grown much along manufacturing lines. But as farm¬ 
ing has greatly developed in that community, so has the business 
of Leesville. Today Leesville has a population of about 1,500. Of 
this number, most of them are engaged in some business in the 
town and not in agriculture. There are quite a number of business 
houses for a town its size. While the number of dwelling houses 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 17 


is about two hundred, there are perhaps 35 stores in the town. Of 
this number, there are drug stores, hardware establishments, dry¬ 
goods, groceries and general merchandise. In addition to these, 
there are two banks. The Farmers and Merchants Bank, which 
is capitalized at $25,000; and the First National, which is capital¬ 
ized at $50,000. The town also has several up-to-date garages that 
find a good business in Leesville, because the people are prosper¬ 
ous and most of them have their own cars. The town has a 
modern hotel, altho rather small, which was built at a cost of about 
$8,000, and serves the public well. 

Leesville has two manufacturing plants that do a good business 
and give work to a number of her population; the Coffin and Casket 
Manufacturing Company, and the Leesville Milling Company. The 
Leesville-Batesburg News, published at Leesville, is a live coun¬ 
ty newspaper that would be an asset to any community. This 
firm also does job printing. 

Leesville can boast of a public library, a thing that is not so 
common in small towns. The library is supported entirely by 
contributions made by the people of the town. This goes to show 
that the people of Leesville are interested in education and culture. 
The Baptist, Lutheran and Methodist denominations are firmly es¬ 
tablished in Leesville and the surrounding community. They each 
have handsome church buildings; the Lutheran is valued at $30,000, 
the Methodist at $12,000 and the Baptist at $2,000. The negroes 
also have their churches. 

In the last few years Leesville has added much to her school 
facilities, so now she possesses a modern and well equipped school 
building. Leesville also has her part in the Leesville-Batesburg 
High School that has recently been built. The education of the 
colored children is also well provided for. 

Leesville has electric lights and it is only a question of a few 
more years until she will have thoroughly modern waterworks. 
The Leesville Infirmary was built at a cost of $10,000. Tho small, 
it is modern in equipment and serves the community well. 

Leesville has a modern town government. During 1922, $465 
was paid as license tax, $340 for fines and bonds, and $5,645 as 
town taxes. 

The homes of Leesville are a credit to any town. All of them 
are equipped with electric lights, and many are equipped with pri¬ 
vate waterworks. The interests of the town are very closely in¬ 
terwoven with the interests of the surrounding country. All work 
tor the common good of all concerned. 


18 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


Lexington 

Lexington is one of the oldest towns in this section of South 
Carolina. It dates as far back as 1800, when a few German fam¬ 
ilies settled in this community. If the history and development of 
Lexington could be told it would read like a novel. Up until 1825 
the present site of Lexington was a region of sand hills covered 
with stubby oak trees and a few houses. The only town anywhere 
near was Columbia, a distance of 12 miles. 

When the county seat was moved to Lexington there were only 
three or four stores and not more than a dozen dwelling houses. 
The first court house and jail were built of cheap material, to be 
used only temporarily. Later, a more expensive court house and 
jail were built. The stone to construct these two buildings was 
taken from a mine near Cayce. 

St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church was organized in 1829, this being 
Lexington’s first church. Years later a Baptist and a Methodist 
church were built. Each of these denominations now has a large 
and beautiful building. 

In 1870 and 1871 the Columbia and Augusta division of the 
Southern Railroad was built through Lexington; and then the 
town began to grow. 

Lexington was among the early towns of the state to establish 
a school. The first building was of a very cheap and common 
type, but as Lexington grew in business and population her school 
buildings were replaced by something better. Today Lexington 
has one of the finest school buildings in the state. She has a strong 
teaching force and modern equipment. The education of the col¬ 
ored children of the town is being well cared for. 

Lexington has a population of 894. The number of dwelling 
houses is perhaps one hundred and fifty, and there are approxi¬ 
mately twenty-five stores in the town. Of this number, there are 
drug stores, grocery stores, hardware stores, and stores of general 
merchandise. Lexington is well served by hotels, banks and any 
of the modern institutions. Another corporation is the Lexington 
Light and Power Company which furnishes electricity for the town. 
Lexington has a system of modern waterworks. 

There are several industries in and around Lexington. The 
Martel Mills, Inc., G. E. Huggins, President, does a good business 
in making ticking, hickory shirting and overall goods. The Lex¬ 
ington Ice Company serves the town and surrounding community. 
The Swygert Lumber Company is one of Lexington’s leading in¬ 
dustries. The Lexington Manufacturing Company also does a 
good business and gives employment to many. A considerable 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 19 


number of Lexington’s inhabitants find employment in these mills. 

The social and religious life of Lexington is very congenial. The 
churches and schools are the chief means of bringing the people 
together. The Luther League of the Lutheran Church, the B. Y. 
P. U. of the Baptist Church, the Epworth League of the Methodist 
Church, and community clubs are very valuable in the social and 
religious life of the town. 

Lexington is the home of the Lexington Dispatch News, the 
leading newspaper of the county. This firm also does job printing. 
Lexington is situated near the center of the county. Around it 
are some of the best farms in the state. A great part of the bus¬ 
iness of Lexington is brought in from the surrounding farming 
communities. Lexington is a rather beautiful old town, with a 
handsome residential section and a goodly number of brick stores 
and other business houses. The pond on the edge of the town has 
many of the beauties of natural scenery, which adds greatly to its 
attractiveness and the happiness of the people. 

New Brookland 

New Brookland is situated on the southeastern edge of the coun¬ 
ty. It is just across the Congaree River from Columbia, and is 
in a way a suburb of that city. New Brookland is growing 1 rap¬ 
idly and many new homes are being erected every year to accom¬ 
modate the increasing population. The population is about 1,793, 
the second largest town in the county. 

Many of the inhabitants of New Brookland live there and work 
in Columbia. But there are several business enterprises and in¬ 
dustries in the town. There are a large number of residences, 
many stores, warehouses, and any of the modern institutions that 
a town of its size would have. 

New Brookland has several churches. The Lutheran, Baptist, 
Methodist and Presbyterian denominations are firmly established. 
They all have large substantial buildings. New Brookland has a 
very fine high and graded school, and an excellent teaching force. 
The churches and the schools go to make the social life of the 
community what it is. 

On one side of New Brookland lies a large and fertile agri¬ 
cultural district. The farmers of this section bring a lot of bus*- 
iness into the town, and the town affords them a ready market 
for a large part of their truck and produce. The town is not much 
for industries because such a large part of her population finds 
employment in Columbia. 


20 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


Cayce 

Cayce is also just across the Congaree River from Columbia, and 
also might claim to be a suburb of Columbia. Cayce may rightly 
be called an industrial town. 

The town gets its name from a resident who lived many years 
near the present site of the town. The old Cayce House, as it 
was known, can still be seen. Cayce has a population of 800 and 
most of these are employed in the Seaboard shops, fertilizer plant, 
or in the rock quarry. 

The Seaboard Railroad has its repair shops in Cayce. The work 
consists chieflly in making repairs to locomotives and cars used 
in transportation service. The pay roll to these shopmen is large 
and means much to the town of Cayce. The shops are a tremen¬ 
dous asset, not only to Cayce, but to the surrounding community. 

The American Agricultural Chemical Company is another one 
of Cayce’s greatest assets. This plant in normal times gives em¬ 
ployment to many people. 

Cayce is a thriving town. It has both the industrial and the 
agricultural classes to do business with. Most of the inhabitants 
work in industrial plants, but there is a large business carried on 
with the farmers of the surrounding community. There are ap¬ 
proximately 150 dwelling houses and perhaps 25 stores. The town 
has its churches and schools. The homes of Cayce are usually 
well kept and equipped with electric lights. 

Cayce is located on the Southern and Seaboard railroads and is 
easily accessible to Columbia. We usually think of agriculture 
when we think of Lexington County, because the county is so pre¬ 
dominantly agricultural that our industries play a very little part 
in the life of the people. But, when we think of Cayce, we do not 
think of agriculture, but of industry. As a matter of fact, the value 
of industry is about all of Cayce’s wealth. 

Chapin 

Chapin is the only incorporated town of any size in that portion 
of Lexington County that lies between Broad and Saluda rivers. 
The town gets its name from Mr. Tom Chapin who settled in that 
community many years ago. At that time there were only two or 
three families that lived where Chapin is now located. About 35 
years ago the Columbia, Newberry and Laurens Railroad was built 
from Columbia to Laurens. The building of this railroad was a 
great help to the farmers of this section. In a few years stores 
and dwellings began to grow in number around Mr. Chapin’s plan- 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 21 


tation. In a few years after the railroad was built, the town was 
incorporated. Mr. Chapin’s old home was in existence until a few 
years ago. 

The early settlers of the community were German or of German 
descent. As a whole they were a rather thrifty class of people. 
They believed in living at home and establishing their Lutheran 
faith. The area of the incorporated part is small, tho the com¬ 
munity around is thickly settled. 

Chapin has a population of 236. There are twenty stores, two 
livery stables, three garages, one lumber plant that does a big bus¬ 
iness, and two cotton gins. Manufacturing has not found its way 
into this community which fact has hindered the material progress 
of the people. Chapin is a very desirable place for a manufactur¬ 
ing town, situated on the C. N. & L. Railroad and the Columbia 
and Hendersonville highway which is paved from Columbia to 
within two miles of Chapin. The health of this section equals that 
of most any community; typhoid fever, malaria and most of the, 
other common diseases are hardly known. 

In this community the Lutheran denomination prevails. The 
Methodists have a few scattered churches. In Chapin there are two 
churches for the whites, the Lutheran Church, valued at about 
$30,000, and the Methodist Church, valued at about $2,000. The 
negroes have two churches in the town that are a credit to the 
town and their color. 

Chapin has an excellent graded and high school, the only high 
school between Broad and Saluda rivers from Columbia up to 
Little Mountain. The school building is valued at about $60,000. 
It is well equipped and has a gOod teaching force, tho still too 
small for the number of pupils. 

The volume of business transacted in Chapin is large for such a 
small place. The most of the business of the entire Dutch Fork 
is carried on here. In 1910 the Bank of Chapin was established 
with a capital stock of $10,000. This bank, tho limited in its capi¬ 
tal, serves a large rural population. It is the only bank in that 
section that lies between the Broad and Saluda rivers from Colum¬ 
bia up to Little Mountain. 

The social life of the community is by no means neglected. The 
churches and the schools have a large part in bringing the people 
together. The people are largely of the agricultural class, and 
work hard. They are generally congenial and sociable. 



III. 


NATURAL RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIES 


D. S. Shull. 


Geography 

Lexington County is located west of the central portion of South 
Carolina. Its boundaries are as follows: On the north by Fair- 
field and Newberry, on the east by Richland and Calhoun, on the 
south by Orangeburg and Aiken, and on the west by Saluda 
Counties 

The fall line crosses the county in a north-easterly-south-west¬ 
erly direction, dividing the county into two distinct topographical 
areas. North of the fall line the topographic features are those of 
,the Piedmont region, while south of the fall line they are charac¬ 
teristic of the coastal plain. The topography of the county is prac¬ 
tically level, except the Piedmont region which is rolling to a cer¬ 
tain extent, typical of the Piedmont country. The ridge, or fall 
line, referred to above is the outstanding topographical feature. 

In size Lexington County ranks tenth among the counties of 
the State with an area of 779 square miles or 498,560 acres. 

Altitude 

The Weather Bureau at Batesburg is 656 feet above sea level. 
This is doubtless one of the highest, if not the highest points in 
the county. The heighth of any other point within the county 
could be arrived at only with extreme difficulty, therefore the alti¬ 
tude of the Weather Bureau at Columbia, S. C. is used, it being 
351 feet. This represents practically the same altitude as New 
Brookland, S. C. 

Climate 

The climate is characterized by long hot summers and short, 
mild winters and is intermediate between that of the lower flat 
region of the coastal plain and the upper Piedmont near the moun¬ 
tains. The temperature thru the summer rises to a fairly consid¬ 
erable temperature nearly every day but the really oppressive 
weather lasts only a week or so during August. According to Wat¬ 
son’s Handbook, the average date of the first killing frost in the 
fall is about October 19th and in the spring the last about March 
22. This is a sufficiently long season to grow almost any crop. 

Following is a table of the normal monthly, seasonal and annual 
temperature and precipitation. 




Lexington County : Economic and Social 23 


Normal Monthly, Seasonal and Annual Temperature and Precipi¬ 
tation for Lexington County 

Using the average of the stations at Monetta, Batesburg and 
Columbia. 


Temperature 


Precipitation 


Month 

Mean. 

Mean Absolute 

Maximum. 

Mean Absolute 

Minimum. 

Highest 

Lowest. 

Mean Inches. 

Total Amt. for Driest 
Year*. Inches. 

Year*. Inches. 

Total Amt. for Wettest 

December „ 

46 . 4 ° 

55 . 9 ° 

36 . 7 ° 

79 . 9 ° 

6 . 6 ° 

3.38 

3.60 

3.17 

January _ 

46.2 

56.1 

36.5 

78.0 

7.6 

3.39 

1.62 

4.35 

February _ 

46.9 

57.1 

36.5 

82.0 

4 . 

4.66 

4.56 

6.60 

Winter __ 

46.5 

57.1 

36.5 

82.0 

4 . 

11.43 

9.78 

14.12 

March .. 

55.4 

66.3 

44.6 

90.0 

19 . 

3.95 

1.86 

5.33 

April .. 

62.2 

74.0 

51.2 

94.0 

28 . 

2.94 

2.64 

2.36 

May _ 

71.8 

83.1 

59.9 

101.0 

38 . 

3.13 

1.69 

6.04 

Spring - 

63.1 

83.1 

44.6 

101.0 

19 . 

10.02 

6.19 

13.73 

June ,. . 

77.7 

88.5 

66.7 

102.0 

45 . 

5.12 

3.84 

8.23 

July -, 

79.8 

89.9 

70.6 

106.0 

55.3 

5.49 

6.85 

8.54 

August _ 

78.9 

88.9 

69.1 

104.0 

55 . 

5.49 

4.61 

8.85 

Summer_ 

78.8 

89.9 

66.7 

106 . 

45 . 

16.10 

15.30 

25.62 

September 

74.1 

84.3 

69.9 

101 . 

43 . 

3.49 

1.89 

4.65 

October _ 

64.2 

75.2 

53.6 

94 . 

28 . 

3.03 

1.70 

3.96 

November „ 

54.1 

65.2 

43.1 

85 . 

19 . 

2.29 

1.34 

2.72 

Fall _ 

64.1 

84.3 

43.1 

101 . 

19 . 

8.81 

4.93 

11.33 

Year 

63.1 

89.9 

1 36.5 

106 . 

4 . 

46.36 

36.20 

64.80 


♦Average for three stations. 



























24 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


Driest Year Wettest Year 


Batesburg.....:.. 1905 Batesburg __ 1903 

Columbia _ 1916 Columbia ..I_ _ 1873 

Monetta ... 1916 Monetta -- 1919 


Soils 

The predominant type of soil in Lexington County is sand, the 
county being located almost wholly within the Sand Hill Belt. 

No soil survey of Lexington County has been made by the 
national government and a detailed description of the soils will be 
more or less inaccurate. In fact there is only one way ot arriving 
at the soils of the county and that is by making a comparison and 
study of the soil surveys of the adjacent counties. Saluda, on the 
West, Orangeburg, on the south, and Richland, on the east, have 
soil surveys. These counties are in the same belt as Lexington 
and it is from these that a description of the soil is arrived at. If 
a soil map were available a distinct change would be noted in the 
types of soils north and south of the fall line. On the south the 
type is predominantly sand. 

In Richland County 29 different types of soil are found and in 
Saluda a like number. As these counties border Lexington on the 
east and west respectively it is presumed that Lexington has a like 
amount. 

These different types of soil are due to different geological forma¬ 
tions and varying degrees of decay of the exposed rock. 

To go into the minute details of description of the various types 
would take more space than can be alloted to this subject in this 
paper. From the total number, the predominating types which 
give the characteristics of the totals, will be selected and described. 
The predominating types of soils are: Norfolk, with a percentage 
of 46.5; the Georgeville, with a percentage of 18.2; the Congaree, 
with a percentage of 14.2; and the Hoffman, with a percentage of 
6.8. These four types cover approximately 86 per cent of the total 
area of the whole county. There are several other types of lesser 
importance. 

The Norfolk is the sandy type; the Congaree and Georgeville 
types are silty clay loams and the Hoffman is the typical sandy 
loam. 

The surface soil of the Norfolk series is characterized by the 
light gray to grayish-yellow color and by the friable structure of 
the sand to sand clay subsoils which are as a rule of a distinctly 






Lexington County : Economic and Social 25 


yellow color. The types in this series range from coarse sandy 
loam to coarse-fine sand. This is a type of soil well adapted to 
the growing of cotton, corn, oats, peanuts, sweet and irish potatoes; 
usually, however, commercial fertilizer is necessary. 

The characteristics identifying the Georgeville type are: the top¬ 
soil is a brownish-gray to light-brown silt loam, usually extending 
to a depth of 5 to 7 inches. The sub-soil consists of a red silty 
Clay. There is also a silty clay loam varying only slightly from 
the silt loam. This type is predominant in the Piedmont section 
and is found along the Broad River near the Richland County line. 

The Corigaree type contains the three following phases: Con- 
garee fine sandy loam, the silt loam and the silty clay loam, differ¬ 
ing little among themselves. Characteristically the top-soil con¬ 
sists of a brownish fine sandy loam which extends to a depth of 
eight to ten inches and is underlain by a light brown to a grayish- 
brown loamy to fine sand that continues to a depth of several feet. 
Bbth surface soil and sub-soil have considerable content of finely 
divided mica flakes. The silt loam differs only in that it is of a 
friable structure. In the silty clay loam the topsoil is slightly 
lighter colored, heavier and more compact than the surface soil. 

The Hoffman type includes a sandy and coarse sandy loam. 
The topsoil of the coarse sandy consists of a gray, coarse sand to 
a loamy coarse sand 8 to 10 inches deep, underlain by a pink to 
pinkish red Or a mottled yellow, pink and gray sandy clay sub¬ 
soil. Where the subsoil is nearly solid pink in color it is much 
heavier and finer than elsewhere. The surface soil generally 
grades abruptly into the subsoil. The sandy loam differs very 
little from the coarse sandy loam, the variations being of little im¬ 
portance. 

The types of crops mentioned as well suited to the Norfolk series 
could be easily applied to any of the last mentioned types with 
equally good results. 

Drainage 

The fall line which is the line dividing the State into two distinct 
belts, the Piedmont region and the coastal plain, runs from Au¬ 
gusta north-easterly across the State to Cheraw. This divides the 
county practically the same as the State. The upper section is 
distinctly Piedmont and the lower section that of the coastal plain. 
In the Piedmont section the soils are a result of the weathering 
of crystalline rocks and contain a large amount of iron ores. In 
the coastal plain region the soils are largely transported material. 
Lexington County’s situation gives rise to a variety of soils. 

The physical feature of the sand hill belt ip Lexington County 


26 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


is that there it reaches its maximum width and may be easily ap¬ 
plied to the county as a whole. The monotony of the region is 
characterized by “pine barren.” The hills slope up from the Sav¬ 
annah River, having a maximum heighth in Platt Springs town¬ 
ship. From there eastward there is an abrupt slope to the Con- 
garee River.. 

The “ridge” thru the county is the dividing line between the 
more recent formations of the low country and the very ancient 
formations of the upcountry, the drainage being regulated accord¬ 
ingly, north of the “ridge” into the Saluda and its tributaries 
and south of the “ridge” into the tributaries of the Edisto. 

The northern part of the county lying in the Piedmont region 
is a gently undulating plain, which becomes more rolling as it ap¬ 
proaches the rivers and larger streams and is finally hilly and 
broken above the bottoms and narrow low grounds thru which 
the numerous water courses find their passage. 

The county is excellently drained, practically no land being unfit 
for use. 

Minerals 

The minerals of Lexington County are few in number, consist¬ 
ing mainly of Fullers earth of which there are several outcrops, 
and granite. 

There are several granite quarries in the county, one being lo¬ 
cated at Cayce, another at Lexington and a third at Irmo. There 
fs also a quarry at Batesburg that is operated intermittently. The 
quarry at Cayce will be discussed under another heading as this 
is one of the largest quarries in the Southeast. 

These are the only minerals of value in the county. 

Timber 

According to the 1920 Census there are 208,138 acres of wood¬ 
land in Lexington County. This is 55 per cent of the total area 
in farms in the county. This gives Lexington a rank of eighth in 
the State. 

Long-leaf pine is the predominating type, growing well on the 
sandy soils. There is also the short leaf and loblolly pine, and a 
small amount of oak. 

There are no statistics to show the amount of merchantable 
timber specific for the county. The 1920 report of the State Com¬ 
missioner of Agriculture gives Lexington County $30,700 as the 
value of the lumber and timber products of that year. 

The lumber industry ranks seventh in the county in the value 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 27 


of annual products. The following industries rank above it in the 
order named: Fertilizers, monuments and stone; brick and tile; 
boxes and baskets; minerals and soda waters; coffins and caskets. 

It is interesting to note the timber situation in the State as a 
whole. In 1920, the United States Forest Service recorded 13,889,- 
000,000 feet as the merchantable pine timber in South Carolina. 
The figure given for 1908 is approximately 45,000,000,000 feet. The 
decrease is readily seen to be marked. The annual growth in the 
State is estimated to be 250,000,000 feet. Over the country as a 
whole, our consumption of timber is four times as great as our 
annual growth. At this rate, and it represents a conservative esti¬ 
mate, we are sustaining a deficit in this State of three-quarters of 
a billion feet annually. Such forest depletion will not allow many 
years until we will have “killed the goose that laid the golden egg." 

It is time we were taking intelligent steps toward the proper 
utilization or conservation of our resources. 

Industries 

While Lexington County is largely agricultural, its industries 
have never been neglected and recently there has been a quickened 
pace in their development. Situated as it is, practically wholly 
above the fall line, there are unlimited possibilities as, to water and 
electric power that can be obtained from the Saluda River and its 
tributaries. 

Transportation facilities, another factor to be considered in the 
development of industries, are not lacking to Lexington County. 
The close proximity to Columbia, the railroad center of the State, 
as well as being traversed by the Southern and Seaboard railroads, 
together with the fact that the Congaree river is navigable as far 
as Columbia on the Richland side and as far as Cayce on the Lex¬ 
ington side offer ample facilities for transportation. 

In so far as raw materials are concerned Lexington County has 
no need to worry, at least for some time to come. The timber 
resources are not so nearly depleted as is the case in some of the 
other counties of the State. There are three textile establishments 
located within the county. Following is a brief description of 
each. 

Two mills are located at Lexington, one in the town and the 
other at Saxa Gotha, a short distance out of town. 

The Middleburg Mills 

The Middlesburg Mills located at Batesburg were incorporated 


28 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


in 1899 with a capital stock of $180,000, and G. E. Huggins as pres¬ 
ident. A total of 10,625 ring spindles are operated. The products 
are tickings and shirtings. 

The Lexington Manufacturing Company 

The Lexington Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 
1894, with G. E. Huggins as president, with a capital stock of 
$100,000. The mill operates a total of 7,104 ring spindles. The 
product is bed ticking. 

The Saxa Gotha Mills 

The Saxa Gotha Mills are located about two miles south of Lex¬ 
ington. They were incorporated in 1895 with a capital stock of 
$50,000. G. E. Huggins is president. The mill operates 10,275 
spindles. The product turned out is print cloth, of the twill and 
sateen type. 

No hydro-electric power is used in any of the establishments; 
water power and steam being used, and in the third steam alone. 

Weston and Brooker Granite Quarry 

Is located at Cayce, S. C. and is one of the largest in the South¬ 
east. The capital invested is no small amount. Approximately 
one hundred and fifty men are employed. The products range 
from monumental stone to crushed granite used for building road¬ 
ways. A pipe and tile plant is also a prominent part of the outfit. 
The product is widely advertised as “Cayce Granite*’ and is known 
for its durability and resistance to weathering. The product is dis¬ 
tributed nation-wide and to other countries. 

Water Power 

The situation of Lexington County as it is, near the fall line, 
offers unlimited possibilities in the development of water power 
for manufacturing purposes. 

The Saluda River is the chief source, but several small, well 
fed streams flowing thru the Sand Hill section afford ample power 
for small manufacturing enterprises. To give the power avail¬ 
able and the power developed, in table form, will show better the 
possibilities. Such a table will be found on the next page. 

The discussion above and the tables following are based on dis¬ 
cussions from Watson’s Handbook of South Carolina, published 
in 1908. Later data are not available. 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 29 


The Water Power Developed and Undeveloped 


Saluda River 


1 

Location. 

Area Drainage. 

Fall. 

H. P. Developed 

H. P. Undeveloped. 

Total Power 

Saluda Factory . 

2,350 sq. mi. 

26 feet 

0 

3,500 

3,500 

Dreher’s Shoals . 

2,200 sq. mi. 

50 feet 

0 

10,000 

10,000 

Total power on Sa 

luda River _ 

1 

1. 

0 

13,500 

13,500 


Small tributaries of the Saluda and Congaree rivers also are 
capable of furnishing water power as follows: 


Twelve Mile Creek (Saluda) 


Below Lexington .. 

Lex. Mfg Co... 

93 sq. mi. 

100 feet 
26 feet 

0 

200 

0 

200 

Congaree Creek (Congaree) 

Taylor property _ 

16 sq. mi. 


0 

700 

700 

Red Bank Creek (Congaree) 

Saxa Gotha Mills 

12 sq. mi. 

50 feet 

50 


50 


Total water power available - 

Total water power developed - 


14,650 H. P. 


Total water power undeveloped. 
















































30 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


Cayce As a Manufacturing Town 

Few towns in the State have more advantages to offer as a man¬ 
ufacturing town than Cayce. Its transportation facilities are all 
that could be asked for, being situated on the main lines of the 
Southern from Columbia to Augusta and Columbia to Savannah 
respectively, and on the main line of the Seaboard Air Line from 
Columbia to Savannah. The river is navigable to Cayce and this 
offers a means of water transportation. As has been said already 
there are ample raw materials and all the hydo-electric power 
needed is available if it is developed. 

American Agricultural Chemical Company 

The fertilizer industry ranks third in the county. The largest 
and most important establishment is that of the American Agri¬ 
cultural Chemical Company at Cayce. It was established about 
1912. As the company owns some five hundred plants in the South 
the capital invested in the Cayce plant could not be had. 

The plant operating now under abnormal conditions produces 
approximately 35,000 tons of commercial fertilizers, but its capac¬ 
ity is much more than this. 

Seventy-five persons are emp’oyed and less than one per cent 
of the product leaves the State. 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 31 


Classified Table of all Industries in Lexington County 

(Based on 1920 Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture.) 



Capital Invested 

Value of 

Annual Product 

Average Number of 

persons Employed 

1 

Total Wages 

Days Operated 

1 

Boxes and baskets | 

$ 10,000 | 

$ 90,000 

41 

1 

$ 40,000 | 

1 

310 

Brick and tile . 

100,000 

161,204 

75 

53,300 

300 

Coffins and caskets 

30,000 

50,000 

20 

18,000 

312 

Electricity ... 

15,704 

5,820 

2 

840 

365 

Fertilizers . 

217,989 

849,046 

125 

128,549 

310 

Flour and grists _ 

30,400 

16,847 

7 

2,590 

190 

Ice ... 

Lumber and Timber 

6,000 

3,500 

3 

1,728 

175 

Products . 

7,350 

30,750 

81 

47,938 

130 

Minerals and soda... 

71,522 

52,714 

18 

6,734 

151 

Monuments & stone 

97,700 

320,940 

98 

125,400 

266 

Printing and pub...._. 

13,500 

27,000 

9 

6,840 

335 

Textiles _ 

1,166,457 

2,045,000 

471 

325,330 

285 

Oil mills __— 

19,700 

288,540 

41 

16,757 

138 

Grand Total — 

$1,786,322 

$3,941,361 

991 

$788,646 

3,267 






























IV. 


FACTS ABOUT THE FOLKS 


D. S. Shull. 


This chapter has as its purpose to weigh the most important 
facts available concerning the folks themselves, constituting the 
population of Lexington County. The data are taken largely from 
the 1920 Census; where otherwise derived, it will be indicated. 

Total Population 

The total population of Lexington County, January 1, 1920, was 
35,676. The rank of the county is fifteenth in this respect. 
Charleston County ranks first with a population of 108,450 and 
Jasper ranks forty-sixth with 9,868. 

Density of Population 

The land area of Lexington County is 779 square miles. The 
average number of inhabitants to the square mile in 1920 was 45.8. 
In this particular Lexington County ranks twenty-eighth. Spar¬ 
tanburg ranks first with 123.2 persons per square mile. Jasper 
ranks forty-sixth with 16.6 inhabitants per square mile. 

The State average is 56.1 inhabitants per square mile. Lexing¬ 
ton County does hot come up to the State average. 

Growth 

In 1910 there were 32,040 persons living within the county. 
This shows an increase of 3,636 for 1920; or, to express it in per¬ 
centage, 11.3 per cent. Of this increase the following is the ratio 
between white and black: In 1920, 23,915 or 67 per cent of the 
population was white and 11,728 or 32.9 per cent were negro. The 
white population in 1910 was 20,370 or 63.6 per cent. The negro 
population for the same period was 11,638 or 36.3 per cent. This 
shows an increase for the white population and a decrease for the 
negro population: This decrease in the negro population can no 
doubt be accounted for by the exodus of that race to the North 
during the World War. 




Lexington County : Economic and Social 33 


The State, as a whole, shows a population increase of 11.1 per 
cent. Lexington County is a little above the state average with 
11.3 per cent increase. 


Rank by Townships 

The accompanying table shows the population and rank for each 
township in the county. It will be noticed that Congaree Town¬ 
ship, including the towns of New Brookland and Cayce ranks first 
with a population of 6,134. Chinquepin Township includes a part 
of the town of Batesburg, the other part being in Saluda County. 
Sandy Run Township ranks lowest with a population of 500. 


Rank. 

1. 

Population of Lexington County: 1920 

Rank by Townships 

Township. 

.Cnngaree 

Population. 

.. 6,134 

2. 

Chinquepin 

4,661 

3. ..... ...... 

...Gilbert Hollow 

. 4,369 

4. 

T.evington 

3,747 

5. 

Bull Swamp 

2,682 

6. 

Rlark Creek 

. ....... 2,529 

7. 

Broad River 

. 2,215 

8. , . 

Hollow Creek 

. 2,142 

9. 

Saluda 

... 1,886 

10. 

Boiling Springs 

. 1,779 

11. 

Platts Springs . 

.. ..... 1,689 

12. 

Fork .... .-. 

._ .. 1,343 

13. 

_ _ _ . __ ....Sandy Run .. .. 

. 500 


Congaree Township, including the towns of New Brookland and 
Cayce, ranks first also in increase. The 1910 Census gives it a pop¬ 
ulation of 3,716, and the 1920 Census a population of 6,134—an in¬ 
crease of 2,418 or approximately 65 per cent. 

The following table shows the population and rank of the incor¬ 
porated towns in the county according to the 1920 Census. 













































34 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


Rank. 

1 

Town. 

Batesburg 

Population. 

2,717 

2 

New Rrookland 

. . _ 1,793 

3._ 

. T.eesville . 

_1,216 

4.. 

T.pxington 

..... 894 

5. 

Cayre 

.. ... 746 

6. 

Swansea 

690 

7.. 

.. Chapin . 

_ 264 

8. 

Trmn . 

_ 236 

9. 

.Lewidale (Gilbert, P. 

O.)_ 226 

10. _ 

. Pelion 

.. 184 

11. 

Peak 

160 

12. _ 

. Summit 

89 

Total 

population of incorporated towns . 

... 9,215 


Total population of county_ 35,676 

Total population incorporated towns_9,215 


Total population open country_, 26,461 

Rural and Urban Distribution 

Considering the white population in towns of 2,500 or over, as 
this is the census distinction for urban, in Lexington County only 
one such town is listed in the 1920 Census and that is Batesburg, 
with 2,717 inhabitants. This is approximately 17 per cent of the 
population that is classed as “urban,” and the remaining 32,944 or 
83 per cent is classed as “rural.” This is a better average than the 
state as a whole. The per cent rural in this case is 82.5. The 
deduction that the interests of the county as well as the state are 
decidely rural is a logical one. 

As there was no urban center within the county’s boundaries in 
1910, it is impossible to make a comparison of the changing ratios. 
Those for the state and and nation show an increase for the urban 
at the expense of the rural. During the last decade South Caro¬ 
lina showed a 7.7 per cent rural increase. The urban increase for 
the same period was 30.8 per cent or exactly four times that of the 
rural. The fact that there was no urban center in the county in 
1910 and that there was in 1920 suggests the tendency to be state¬ 
wide. 

Color and Nativity 

The number of negroes in the county is 11,728 or 32.9 per cent 
of the total population. 














































Lexington County : Economic and Social 35 


The foreign-born element is almost negligable, only 32 being 
listed for the entire county. 

Percentage Increase 

According to the 1920 Census, there were 23,915, or 67 per cent 
native white inhabitants, the foreign-born whites numbering only 
32. The white population, then, both native and foreign, consti¬ 
tute approximately 67 per cent of the total population. In 1910 
the white population was 20,370, or 64.6 per cent. For the same 
period the negro population was 11,638, or 36.3 per cent. 

The white population increased during the ten year period by 
3,545, or 10.6 per cent. The negro population increased 90, or 0.7 
per cent for the same period. 

Lexington County Has a White Majority 

Lexington County ranks among the fourteen counties in the 
state that have a white majority. In this standing it ranks seventh 
among the fourteen, with a 67.1 per cent white population. 

Pickens ranks first with a white population of 82.6 per cent, and 
Beaufort ranks forty-sixth with a white population of 21.5 per cent. 

Sex 

Including all classes, that is white, negro, foreign-born or mixed 
parentage, there are 18,000 males and 17,676 females in Lexington 
County. This gives a majority of 324 in favor of the males. The 
1910 Census gives the males as 16,274; females, 15,766, giving the 
former a majority of 508. The situation is the same for the white 
population. The males total 12,173 and the females 11,742. The 
males are 431 in the majority. 

The reverse is true for the negro population. The males num¬ 
ber 5,801 and the females 5,927. This gives the females a majority 
of 126. In 1910 the negro males were 90 in excess of the negro 
females and the reduction in 1920 might be accounted for in the 
exodus of the negro males to the North during the World War. 

Total Illiteracy 

The 1920 Census gives Lexington County a rank of third with 
12.5 per cent illiteracy. Only two other counties have a less per¬ 
centage of illiteracy, these being Greenville and Pickens. Berkeley 
ranks lowest with 38.4 per cent illiteracy. The number of illiter¬ 
ates in 1910 was 1,455 or 19.7 per cent for Lexington County. 


36 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


This shows a substantial reduction of 7.2 per cent during the last 
decade—an achievement to be proud of. 

Native White Illiterates 

There are 854 native whites ten years or more of age that were 
illiterate in 1920. This is five per cent of that group. In 1910 
there were 1,065, or 7.2 per cent. 

Of the 5,827 native white males 21 years or over in 1920, 396 were 
illiterate. There were 5,606 white females 21 years or over and 
381 of these were illiterate. 

A rigid enforcement of the compulsory school attendance law 
will substantially reduce this, as is already evidenced by the reduc¬ 
tion in the total illiteracy between the 1910 and 1920 censuses. 

Negro Illiterates 

There were 8,282 negroes ten years of age or over in Lexington 
County in 1920. Of this number 2,335, or 28.2 per cent, were illit¬ 
erate. In 1910, for the same age group, 8,034 in number, 3,148, or 
39.2 per cent were illiterate. This constitutes an eleven per cent de¬ 
crease in illiteracy among this class and should be appreciated. 

Some Conclusions 

The county shows progress in the elimination of illiteracy. A 
recital of these facts is sufficient to provoke constructive thought 
on the part of every citizen of Lexington County. Those illiter¬ 
ates that have passed the school age must be reached as far as is 
practical by the adult schools. To prevent a repetition the com¬ 
pulsory school attendance laws must be rigidly enforced. 

Births and Deaths 

Thirty-eight counties had more deaths per thousand than Lex¬ 
ington, which ranked seventh with a rate of 10.6 deaths for each 
thousand. The figures from which these data are taken are for the 
year 1919, the latest available, and give Lexington County a total of 
380 deaths for that year. 

Richland County ranks first with a death rate of 26.1 deaths per 
thousand, and Colleton ranks forty-sixth with a per thousand 
rate of 7.4. The state average is 13.66 deaths per thousand. This 
gives Lexington County a rank of 3.06 better than the state 
average. 

Nineteen counties had a greater birth rate per thousand, in 1919, 
than Lexington; its rank being twentieth, with 27.6 births per 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 37 


thousand. Horry ranks first with 39.1 births per thousand and 
Colleton ranks forty-sixth with 18.2 per thousand. The state av¬ 
erage is 27.1 births per thousand. Again Lexington County betters 
the state average by .5. 

A very interesting fact to note is that the birth rate exceeds the 
death rate by 17 per one thousand inhabitants. 

Church Membership 

Lexington County ranks eleventh, with seventy-six per cent of its 
inhabitants, ten years of age and over, members of some church. 
The total church population is 22,800. The state average for 
church membership of persons ten years of age or over is seventy- 
four per cent. This is a fact to be proud of, yet it should receive 
attention, inasmuch as twenty-four per cent of our population 
over ten years of age in Lexington County are members of no 
church. 

The membership according to denominations is as follows: 


Baptist _ 


_ f _6,030 


. White, 3,124; Black, 2,896. 


Lutheran_ 


___5,578 

Methodist_ 


_ 5,511 


White, 2,984; Black, 2,527. 


Presbvterian 


..... 142 

White, 32; Colored, 110. 


Protestant Episcopal _ 4 

Roman Catholic ______•... 4 

All others _ 146 


Predominantly Agricultural 

When we see that the 1920 Census divides the population of 
Lexington County into 32,959 rural and 2,717 urban, it would seem 
that no additional data would be necessary to convince. The dis¬ 
tinction used by the census is that all towns under 2,500 and the 
open country are classed as rural. 

In 1920 there were 991 inhabitants employed in industrial enter¬ 
prises, while at the same time there were 4,816 farms in the county. 
A preceding table in this chapter shows that there are 26,461 peo¬ 
ple in Lexington County living in the open country on these farms. 

In 1920 the total value of the eleven leading crops for Lexing¬ 
ton County was $4,784,000, while the total value of the industrial 
output was $4,751,361. This gives $842,640 greater receipts from 
crops alone, not including live stock products, 













38 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


It would seem then that the problems would or should be 
equally divided, but the number employed in industrial pursuits is 
small as compared with the number employed in agriculture. The 
agricultural interests are having to readjust themselves, due to the 
advent of the boll weevil. 

Facts About the Folks 

10th—In size in South Carolina; acres_ 498,560 

15th—In population in 1920'___ 35,676 

28th—In population per square mile__— 45.8 

30th—In density of rural population per square mile- 42.3 

21st—In negro decrease in ratio to total population, 

1910-1920; per cent_ 3.4 

11th—In percentage that church members are of total 

population 10 years old and over- 76 

Non-church members in the total population in 
1916 were 12,257. 

16th—In native white illiterates, 10 years old or over, 

per cent 1920 _ 5 

854 in number. State average 10.3 per cent; 

United States average, 3 per cent. 

15th—In per cent native white illiterate voters_ 6.7 

396 in number. State average 10.8 per cent; 

United States average 4.2 per cent. 

39th—In death rate per 1000 population, 1919___10.6 

State average 13.66 per cent; U. S. average, (1915) 

13.5 per cent. 

20th—in birth rate per 1000 inhabitants, 1919_ 27.6 

25th—In total number of homicides per 100,000, total 

population, 1920 _ 14 

Total number in county 5; state average 15.2. 


















V. 


WEALTH AND TAXATION 


D. S. Shull. 


The laws of the State require that all property be returned at 
its full value. This law has been abused to such an extent that in 
order for the State Tax Commission to proceed with their work in 
1915 it was necessary for them to adopt as a working basis a per 
centage value of 42 instead of 100. Using this as a basis it is our 
purpose to present a comparison of the property as returned for 
the years 1910 and 1920, showing the increase for the ten year 
period. 

For the year 1910, the auditor’s books show $5,560,111 worth of 
property returned for taxation. Of this amount $1,484,159 was per¬ 
sonal property and $4,075,953 was real estate. Reckoning this as 
42 per cent, we find the actual value to be $13,238,362. These 
figures show a per capita wealth of $413.18. 

For the year 1920, we find $7,685,480 worth of property returned 
for taxation, of which $2,730,249 was personal property and $4,955,- 
231 was real property. Reckoning as above, the actual value is 
$18,298,762. This gives a per capita wealth of $512.91. 

The increase of the total value returned for taxation for the ten 
year period is $5,060,400, or 28 per cent. The per capita wealth 
shows an increase of $99.73, or 19 per cent. 

For the ten year period the value of the taxable property shows 
an increase of $2,125,368, or 27.5 per cent. The most interesting 
point to note in the $2,125,368 actual increase is that the personal 
property increased in value $1,286,090, or 95 per cent, while the 
real increased only $879,278, or 17.7 per cent. Lexington County 
had a rank of 19th in total taxable property in 1920. 

Automobiles 

In 1921 Lexington County had 2,530 automobiles. To state the 
same thing in different words, from a report of the State Highway 
Commission for 1921, it is found that only four other counties in 
the state had more automobiles in proportion to inhabitants than 
Lexington, which ranked fifth with one automobile for each 14.1 

inhabitants. Greenville, Richland, Anderson and Darlington coun- 

✓ 




40 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


ties outranked her in the order named. 

A conservative estimate on the average value of a car for that 
year would be about $1,100. This would give Lexington an in¬ 
vestment in automobiles of $2,796,068. The total number of gallons 
of gas consumed in the state in 1921 was 36,737,715. By single 
division of the total number of automobiles in the state we find 
the average consumption to be 405.7 gallons per car. Using this 
as a basis, we find that Lexington County’s automobiles consumed 
1,026,461 gallons of gasoline. The average price in 1921 was 
twenty-five cents per gallon. This would give an expenditure of 
$256,605.25 for gasoline. It is estimated that the average mileage 
of all cars would be about 13 miles per gallon. This would mean 
that cars in our county have travelled a total of 13,343,473 miles. 
A conservative estimate for the cost per mile, including tires, de¬ 
preciation, repairs and similar items, is about ten cents per mile. 
This means that the operating expenses would be $1,334,347.30. 

Lexington County’s Automobile Bill for 1921 

2,530 automobiles @ $1,100 ...$2,796,068.00 

1,026,421 gallons gasoline @ 25 cents_..._ 256,605.25 

13,343,473 miles travelled @ 10 cents per mile operating 

expenses________ 1,334,347.30 


Total_____.$4,387,020.55 

It is not probable that all the automobiles were bought during 
the year. Leaving out the item of the cost of the cars and con¬ 
sidering only the expenditures for gas and operating expenses 
we have a total of $1,590,952.55. The value of the entire school 
property of the county according to the State Superintendent of 
Education’s report for 1921 was only $421,469. Our automobile 
bill is four times as great as the value of the school property. In¬ 
cluding the item of cost of the automobiles the investment is about 
ten and one-half times that in school property. Are we putting 
first things first? 

Banks 

In order to arrive at a just conclusion of the progress we have 
made in banking and banking resources a comparison will be made 
for the years 1914, 1919 and 1921. The year 1914 will represent pre¬ 
war conditions; 1919 post-war conditions, and in order to bring it 
up to date, the year 1921 will no doubt indicate a slump due to 
abnormal conditions. 

In 1921 we had twelve banks, nine state and three national. We 
find for 1919 seven state and three national, a total of ten. In 1914 









Lexington County : Economic and Social 41 


we had five state and three national banks. 

The following is a comparison of the banks in Lexington Coun¬ 
ty in the years 1914, 1919 and 1921 respectively. 

1914—Number of banks, 8; one to every 6,408 people. 

1919—Number of banks, 10; one to every 3,567 people. 

1921—Number of banks, 12; one to every 2,973 people. 


In 1914 we had eight banks, with total banking resources of 
$1,242,377.50. These figures indicate an increase of 169 per cent, or 
$3,342,282.58 from 1914 to 1919, or a per capita increase from $38.16 
to $93.68. From 1919 to 1921 there was an increase of $159,923.57, 
or approximately 5 per cent. 

Comparing loans and discounts for this period, the 1921 figure 
is $2,334,120.82; those for 1919 are $1,943,841.05, or an increase of 
approximately 20 per cent. The 1914 figures are $909,045.69. The 
increase from 1914 to 1919 is 114 per cent and for the entire period 
157 per cent. 

The savings will be more or less inaccurate, inasmuch as the 
National Comptroller of the Currency does not require the national 
banks to report savings as such in their regular reports and con¬ 
sequently the figures given below do not include savings in national 
banks. The 1921 deposits reported are $461,726.96, while those for 
1919 are $1,052,461.30, a decrease of 128 per cent. The 1914 figures 
are $89,465.29, an increase of 107.6 per cent from 1914 to 1919 or 
416 per cent for the entire period. 

The increase in capital stock has not been as great as has the 
other phases. In 1921, the total capital invested was $448,700; 
1919, $277,000; 1914, $189,043.12. This is an increase of 62 per cent 
from 1919 to 1921; 46.5 per cent from 1914 to 1919, or 137 per cent 
for the entire period. 

This increase in all phases of banking cannot be attributed to the 
increase in population, for from 1910 to 1920 we only increased 
11.3 per cent in population, while from 1914 to 1921 we increased 
137 per cent in capital stock; 157 per cent in loans and discounts, 
and 181 per cent in banking resources. These figures are the 
numerical expression of one of the important forms of wealth in 
the county during these years. 


Capital stock -.-- 

Loans and discounts - 

Total resources ...-. 

Surplus and undivided profits 
Savings .... 


1914 

Total Per capita 

.$ 189,043.12.$5.68 

.„....$ 909,045.69. 28.37 

.$1,242,377.50.38.16 

.’.$ 42,406.79... 1.32 

..... 4 89,465.29.. 2.79 











42 Lexington County : Economic and Social 

1919 

Capital stock___ 

Loans and discounts_ 

Total resources_ 

Surplus and undivided profits_ 

Savings __:_ 

1921 

Capital stock ____ 

Loans' and discounts _ 

Total resources _ 

Surplus and undivided profits_ 

The Bank of Western Carolina is not considered in the sum¬ 
maries above inasmuch as there was no report for the individual 
banks but for the bank as a whole which includes various branches 
over the western part of the state. 

Farm Mortgages 

The 1920 Census shows that of the 2,583 farms owned and oper¬ 
ated by the owners, 1,793 are unencumbered, 525 are covered by 
mortgages, while 265 gave no mortgage report. Of the tqtal 
number of farms, 10.9 per cent are mortgaged. Only three other 
counties have a larger number of farms covered by mortgages, 
these being Oconee, Pickens and Horry. The greatest per cent 
is in Oconee, with 14.7, while a number of the smaller counties 
have a less number of mortgaged farms comparatively. It is often 
necessary for a farmer to mortgage his farm, and often is a sign 
of progress. If the capital obtained in this way goes to purchase 
more land, improve buildings, or for permanent improvements to 
the land, as drainage or even for the education of his children, 
the money is well spent, and there can be no criticism. The evil 
lies in the fact that the case is often that the farmer mortgages 
his farm in order to indulge in the luxuries of life and keep pace 
with his brother farmer. The farmer that mortgages his farm to 
buy an automobile is taking a wrong step. An automobile is a 
good investment, often a necessary one if the farmer is able to own 
one, but when his farm is mortgaged to make the purchase he is 
fast riding back to tenancy. 

The automobile bill of the county for the year 1921 amounts to 
( more than ten d-nd one-half times the value of all school property 
in the county. 


Total Per capita 

_$ 448,000.00_$12.58 

_$2,334,120.82_ 65.42 

_$3,492,206.15_97.89 

.$ 166,726.96_ 7.77 


Total Per capita 

_$ 155,000.00_$7.74 

_$1,401,909.00_ 54.48 

_$2,255,200.00_ 93.68 

_$ 108,391.42_ 3.03 

_$1,052,461.30_ 29.50 



















Lexington County : Economic and Social 43 


. Farm Prosperity 

The 1920 Census gives the total value of all farm property in the 
county for that year as $24,712,046. In 1910 it was $10,744,463 and 
in 1900 it was $4,473,049. This shows an increase of $6,271,414, or 
1,50 per cent. For the twenty year period there is an increase of 
$20,238,997, or 450 per cent. Eleven counties have greater 
values of farm property than Lexington, which ranks twelfth. 
Anderson ranks first with a value of $61,635,823. The other ten 
with a greater farm value, rank in the order named: Spartanburg, 
Greenville, Orangeburg, Marlboro, Florence, Darlington, Sumter, 
Laurens, Lee, and York. The per capita wealth of our rural pop¬ 
ulation in 1910 was $335, and in 1920 was $693, an increase of $358, 
or over 100 per cent. 

Lexington County ranks well in per capita wealth in the state 
but as compared with the United States is poor. In 1910 the per 
capita wealth was $335, while the average for the United States 
was $994 and the average for Iowa, was $3,386 per country inhab¬ 
itant. 

Tenancy 

Tenancy is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, social and 
economic evils of the state. Only two other states in the union, 
have more tenancy than South Carolina. Mississippi has tenancy 
to the extent of 66.1 per cent; Georgia, 65 per cent, and South 
Carolina has 64.5 per cent. This means that 64.5 out of every 
hundred farms operated in the state are operated by tenants. It 
is self evident that a man who owns his land will take more pride 
in his work, home, community and state and do more toward its 
upbuilding than a tenant who can be classed as a transient, mov¬ 
ing from year to year. 

Lexington County ranks 38th according to the 1920 Census with 
46.2 per cent of her farms operated by tenants. Marlboro, Dillon, 
Allendale, Lee and Laurens rank among the first, Marlboro hav¬ 
ing a percentage of 85.6. Contrary to popular belief that tenancy is 
more prevalent in the lower part of the state, actual figures show 
this to be erroneous. Taking the first ten counties having the 
greatest percentage of tenancy seven are in the upper part of the 
state. Then taking the ten that rank lowest, nine of these are 
found to be in the lower part of the state. 

An interesting comparison is that of the races as related to ten¬ 
ancy. 63.7 per cent of our population is white and 43.4 per cent 
of our tenants are white. The negro population totals 36.3 per 
cent, while the number of negro tenants fa given $6.6 per cent. 


44 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


This gives us a rank of 8th in white tenancy and. a rank of 36th in 
negro tenancy. Only 9 per cent of the farms are operated by 
negro owners. This gives Lexington County a rank of 42nd in 
this respect. 

There are two distinct types of tenants in South Carolina: “cash 
tenants,” or renters, and “share tenants.” The latter class can be 
subdivided as those who pay a certain share of the products as one- 
third or one-half; croppers,—those who do not furnish their own 
work animals and share-cash tenants—those who pay part cash 
and part of the product. Lexington County has 55.6 per cent share 
tenancy, and 37.9 per cent of cash tenancy. The other 6.5 per cent 
is of the share-cash type. 

A comparison will show that share tenancy is more prevalent in 
the upper part of the state, while cash tenancy seems to hold sway 
in the lower part. This would show that the white tenant prefers 
the share type, because in the counties having the largest percent¬ 
age of white population is found the greatest amount of share 
tenancy. 

Sixteen counties in the state showed a decrease in tenancy be¬ 
tween the 1910 and 1920 Censuses, while twenty-seven show an 
increase. Lexington shows an increase of 2.1 per cent. 

Farm Loan Associations 

The Federal Land Bank was established for many purposes, chief 
among which was to supply the farmer or would be farmer with 
long time credit at low rates of interest. This supplies a long felt 
want to the agricultural interests of the South, there being prac¬ 
tically no other source than the local banks for capital, and this 
could not be obtained under the most favorable conditions for a 
long time. The establishment of the Federal Land Banks will 
ultimately do as much as any one conceivable factor to eliminate 
tenancy in our state, but without the cooperation of the farmers, 
and the inculcation into the young farmers the spirit to achieve 
something in life, the Federal Land Bank will be impotent to help. 

There are three Farm Loan Associations located in Lexington 
County as follows: Batesburg, Lexington and New Brookland. 

Roads 

The 1918 report of the State Highway Commission gives Lexing¬ 
ton County an area of 833 square miles and an approximate road 
mileage of 1,500. The Federal Aid apportionment for the year was 
$20,422.10. The 1921 report of the State Highway Commission 
gives Lexington County 33 miles of improved roads of the soft 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 45 


surface type. 49.6 miles are recommended for improvement; 12 
hard surfaced and 31.6 soft surface at an estimated cost of $500,000. 

Under the traffic classification of the department, Lexington 
County has 28 miles under the 500 to 1,000 vehicles per day, and 
36.6 miles with less than this capacity. 

The most striking advance in the improvement of the roads in 
the county comes with the completion of the 24.1 miles (not in¬ 
cluding incorporated limits of towns) of the Washington to At¬ 
lanta Highway thru the county from New Brookland to Batesburg, 
This project was aided by the federal government. 

At the present time the road from Columbia to Charleston is 
being top-soiled to the Calhoun County line. This will add ap¬ 
proximately 14 miles of improved road. 

The argument is sometimes raised that soft surfaced roads are 
not permanent and represent money thrown away. This is true, 
but to a very small extent. When it is decided to hard surface 
the road, the grading, sloping and filling are ready, with possibly 
a few minor repairs for the concrete to be applied. 

The bridge over the Congaree, connecting Columbia and New 
Brookland has been condemned on several occasions and is really 
dangerous to travel. With the continually increasing volume of 
traffic it is entirely inadequate to meet the present needs. The 
State Highway Commission in its 1921 report to the General As¬ 
sembly has listed forty-nine bridges needed to complete the state 
highway sytem, among which is the bridge over the Congaree. 
The type of bridge recommended is the concrete arch at an esti¬ 
mated cost of $400,000. With the erection of this bridge the high¬ 
ways of the county will have a necessary factor and an incentive 
for their further development. Good roads mean better towns, 
better schools, enhancement in value of property and improved 
social conditions. It is up to the people of the county to cooperate 
with the State Highway Commission and the county road author¬ 
ities for the betterments of the roads in the county. 

Taxation 

The tax question is the paramount issue that is going to face 
the state legislature for the next several years. It has been the 
problem of every civilized government, and few of them have 
solved it with complete satisfaction, although most of them did 
solve it better than the State of South Carolina has up until the 
present time. Enough figures will be given in a following para¬ 
graph to put before the people the real conditions of the county 
and what is true for Lexington County is applicable to the state 
as a whole. 


46 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


The authority for the present tax system is in the Constitution 
of 1895, which is now twenty-seven years old. The functions of 
the government have been increasing each year since 1895 while 
there has been no corresponding increase in the source of revenue. 
The law as it is found in the constitution says that all property, 
real and personal, be returned, assessed and taxed at the actual 
value. The burden of taxes is not where it should be and there¬ 
fore the above provision of the tax clause of the constitution is 
dead. To substantiate this statement, which is well recognized 
over the entire state, the State Tax Commission had to use a 42 
per cent basis in order to proceed with the equalization of assess¬ 
ments. This is a direct violation of the constitution, yet it was the 
only thing for the Tax Commission to do in order to get sufficient 
funds with which to run the state government. 

When taxes become a burden to the citizens a logical conclusion 
is that the government is either taking over too many tunctions or 
else there is something wrong with the taxing system, usually the 
latter. The tax burden falls where it should not be, and there can 
be no remedy under the present system. 

Here is a condition that has arisen in our county by reason of 
a general property tax. The 1920 Census of the United States 
values our farm property at $24,712,046, while the total value of 
all the property in the county according to the State Tax Com¬ 
mission’s report is $18,298,800. 

In order to show the contempt with which the law is being 
treated the following is given: The law says that all property 
must be returned for taxation at full value. The 1920 Census 
gives the average value per acre of land in Lexington County as 
$40.73. The average assessed value is $4.76, or 11.7 per cent of 
the census value. From a report made by a special committee 
appointed in 1920 by the General Assembly of South Carolina to 
make a thorough study of the tax situation in the state and to 
make recommendations for a solution thereof, we find that out 
of 640 tracts of land sold in South Carolina between July, 1917, 
and February, 1918, the assessed value for taxation was less than 
thirty per cent of the consideration paid therefor. There is also 
reason to believe that property in Lexington County is returned 
on the same basis. And yet we wonder why we have such high 
taxes and still not raise sufficient revenues to meet the increased 
demands of the government. 

As has already been said, the man whose wealth is composed of 
personal property is tax free because there is no way to compel 
him to place his property on the tax books under the present 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 47 

tax law. As a result the lands in Lexington as well as the other 
counties, bear the brunt of the taxes. 

The special committee mentioned above, after studying the tax 
conditions in the state thoroughly, concluded that there could be 
no safe reform of the taxing system of South Carolina until the 
constitutional restrictions upon the power of the General Assembly 
in relation to the general property tax are removed. Any improve¬ 
ment in the method of assessment or in administrative machinery 
is mere tinkering. The institution of new methods might result 
in some temporary relief but not permanent. A complete revision 
is the only solution. 

The intangible property in the form of notes, mortgages, bonds 
and stocks fail to get on the tax books. Under the present system 
it would be impossible for an owner of such property to place it 
on the tax books because of the high rate of taxation. It has been 
estimated that if all the intangible property in the state be placed 
on the tax books at its actual value of $300,000,000 and a rate of 
three mills placed on this, it alone would yield $900,000 or one- 
sixth what it cost to run the state government last year. Per¬ 
sonal property, tangible and intangible, does not find its way ade¬ 
quately to the tax books. Consequently we find the real estate in 
all counties of the state bearing the burden. The only sensible so¬ 
lution is an entire new system of taxation. Some progress has 
already been made in this direction. Much more thorough and 
fundamental recasting is necessary. 

Facts About Wealth: and Taxables 


12th—In total value farm property, 1920....$24,712,046 

23rd—In farm wealth increase, 1910-1920, per cent_ 129.9 

State increase 143 per cent. 

17th—In per capita country wealth.....$749.84 

19th—In total taxable property, (actual value, 1920)'......$18,298,800 

30th—In increase in taxable property, 1910-1920, per cent 38.22 
5th—In tax rate per $100 assessed valuation for tax 

year 1920 _ $3.50 

5th—In average property tax rate, 1920, state, school 

and county (mills) _ 35 

State average 29.4 mills. 

33rd—In per capita wealth, 1920_ $513 

20th—In per capita crop values on the eleven leading 

crops, 1920 _ $134.10 

39th—In per cent of farm land improved_ 41 

22nd—In average improved acres per farm, 1920.. 32.2 

















48 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


38th—In per cent of farms operated by tenants, 1920- 46.2 

4th—In percentage that mortgaged farms are of all 

farms, 1920 _ 10.9 

38th—In percentage that farms owned by negroes are of 

total number of farms--- -04 

12th—In number of automobiles, 1921_ 2259 

5th—In number of inhabitants per automobile_ 14.1 

11'h—In number of inhabitants per bank, 1920_ 3,243 

37th—In per capita bank resources, 1919- $92 

39th—In per capita bank capital, 1919_ $7 

37th—In per capita bank loans and discounts, 1919_ $54 

31st—In per capita bank account savings, 1919- $6 

34th—In total capital stock invested, 1919_ $258,550 

28th—In total resources, 1919 _$3,294,968 

30th—In total savings deposits, 1919_ $211,573 

35th—In total surplus fund, 1919_ $86,403 

38th—In per capita surplus fund, 1919_ $2 

29 h—In total loans and discounts, 1919_._ $1,910,908 

24 1 —In special levy, not including principal cities, 

(mills) _ 6.3 

6th—In average county levy, not including principal 

town districts (mills) _ ? 41.3 

22nd—In total value of all school property _ $289,515 

2°th—In per capita investment in school property, 1920 $8.11 

13th—In percentage increase in per capita total banking 

resources, 1914-1919 _ 200 

24ih—In non-food crop value, 1919_$6,254,455 






















VI. 


SCHOOLS 


J. E. Stockman. 


It is the purpose of this chapter to give our people some of the 
facts concerning our schools in Lexington County. Some of the 
data will make us proud of our educational system; others may 
give us cause to feel that our school system is not what it should 
be. It will also be the purpose of this chapter to put our people 
to thinking about one of the most important questions of the day. 
If this last aim can be accomplished, our efforts will not be in vain. 
The future of our country and the welfare of our nation are de¬ 
pendent upon the youth of today. Unless we have the schools to 
train our boys and girls, we cannot expect them to become men 
and women who will be efficient leaders, and we cannot feel secure 
in seeing the destiny of our country rest in their hands. 

Ten Year Gains 

A glimpse of the gains made in our educational system can be 
gotten from the tables that close this chapter. The data in these 
tables were obtained largely from reports of the State Superintend¬ 
ent of Education. 

We have many reasons to be pleased with some of the improve¬ 
ments, and the progress that has been made in Lexington County 
schools. However, many of our schools have not moved forward 
as rapidly as some other schools in the State. The school* revenues 
have increased from $36,812.01 to $126,421.00, or 243 per cent, from 
1910 to 1920. We can rightly conclude that school efficiency in¬ 
creased in about the same proportion as the revenues, although 
operating expenses have greatly advanced during the last ten years. 
Our teachers are being paid nearly three times as much as in 1910; 
but living expenses have advanced in about the same proportion. 
Even if we are paying our teachers nearly three times as much as 
in 1910, still they are poorly paid. Lexington County pays her 
teachers on an average less than any county in South Carolina. 




50 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


In 1910 there were only 20 school districts with extra levies, and 
in 1920, every district had the extra levy. White teachers in the 
county increased from 184 to 189; this small increase is in part due 
to the consolidation of schools. 

In 1910 the total enrollment for both races was 7,617, and in 1920 
it was 10,842, an increase of 42 per cent. In 1910 the average at¬ 
tendance was 58 per cent of the number enrolled; in 1920 the aver¬ 
age attendance was 7,902 or 73 per cent of the total enrollment. 
From these figures we see that the average attendance is not what 
it ought to be. We hope that the compulsory school law will 
improve such conditions. 

In gathering the data for the last ten years, the fact that the 
county has lost part of her territory was not taken into considera¬ 
tion. It was impossible to do this on account of the arrangement 
of the census data. 


Rank of Lexington County Schools 

A comprehensive method of studying school conditions and pro¬ 
gress for a long period of time has been worked out by the De¬ 
partment of Education of the Russell Sage Foundation by means 
of index numbers, which is a reliable method commonly used for 
measuring changes in wholesale and retail prices, rates of wages 
over periods of time, etc., and can be used very handily in observ¬ 
ing the conditions and cost of education for a period of time. The 
ten sets of educational data in the index figures for Lexington 
County Schools, 1910 and 1920, have been prepared according to 
this system. Increases in them show improved educational condi¬ 
tions and decreases reflect worse conditions. 

South Carolina stands at the bottom of all other states in educa¬ 
tional matters, with an index number of 29.39. Montana leads with 
75.79. In 1920, 18.1 per cent of the people in South Carolina were 
illiterate. South Carolina’s population being so largely negro can 
account partly for this low standing, tho not in full; for we stand 
sixth from the bottom in white illiteracy with 6.5 per cent out of 
every 100 of our white population ten years of age and above 
unable to write his name. 

Lexington County Schools in 1920 had an index of 35.72 which 
is several figures above that of the state for 1918. We see from 
this figure that our county is one among those of a low index figure 
that helps to keep our state ranking at the bottom. If we can 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 51 


make this great increase again for the next ten years, and other 
counties do likewise, our state will not be standing at the bottom 
in educational matters. 


Index Figures for Lexington County Schools, 1910 and 1920 


/ 

' 1910 White. 

1910 Colored. 

1920 White 

1920 Colored. 

1910 White 

and Colored. 

1920 White 

and Colored. 

1. Per cent of school popu- 







attending school daily_ 

63.6 

63.8 

94 

91.7 

63.7 

98 

2. Average days attended 







by each child of school age 

27 

12 

56 

26.5 

18 

41.2 

3. Average number of days 







schools were kept open_ 

40.5 

24.5 

59.5 

24.1 

30.5 

80.4 

4. Per cent that high school 







attendance was of total at¬ 







tendance ..- - - 

.01 


4.6 


.04 

4.6 

5. Per cent that boys were 







of girls in high schools.— 

40 


45.6 


40 

45.6 

6. Average expenditure per 







child attending - ~ . 

7.17 

1.62 

23.64 

2.39 

5.40 

15.38 

7. Average expenditure per 







child of school age .—.-. 

4.57 

1.03 

16.75 

1.82 

3.43 

11.21 

8. Average expenditure per 







teacher employed —. 

6.09 

4.85 

43.65 

8.89 

6.65 

34.04 

9. Expenditure per child for 







purposes other than salaries 

1.80 


23.50 

3.64 

1.20 

38.42 

10. Expenditure per teacher 







for salaries . . 

10.66 

4.80 

35.27 

88.85 

9.06 

28.35 

Lexington County Index 

21.11 

11.26 

40.25 

16.76 

13.84 

35.72 

State Index - 





24.87 

29.39 

































52 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


Attendance 

The attendance in our schools is one of the problems that we 
have to solve. We see from the reports that only 72.88 per cent 
of the pupils attend regularly and this figure includes both races. 
The white regular attendance of enrolled pupils is 70.86 per cent, 
and the negro regular attendance of enrolled pupils is 76.30 or 5.44 
per cent greater than the white. This one fact should make us 
realize that there is a deficiency in our attendance. With condi¬ 
tions such as these, something should be done immediately for both 
races. We have the Compulsory Attendance Law, but without co¬ 
operation on the part of parents, it cannot fully do its purpose. 
This evil can be partly corrected by showing the parents what their 
children are losing when they are out of school even just a day 
once in a while. With the hearty cooperation of the parents the 
compulsory attendance law can greatly reduce this large number 
who are absent from school. 

Stop and think for a minute just what we are losing when so 
many of our pupils are out of school. We have an average attend¬ 
ance of 7,902. That means that 2,940 of the enrolled are absent 
from school every day of the school year. In 1920 our, county 
spent $208,317.51 for all school purposes. That is an average of 
about $19.22 per enrolled pupil; and when 2,940 are absent every 
day in the year, the county is losing about $56,506.80 annually on 
account of the absent pupils, because when the student is absent 
all expenses continue to go on. From a financial basis we should 
try to get every enrolled student to attend every day in the school 
year. 

But to realize this condition, it is necessary to get our people 
to see that it is an economical and a social advantage that their 
children attend school regularly. This duty rests upon the intelli¬ 
gent people of our county. The parent must realize that the ex¬ 
penses of the school go on whether their child is there or not; 
that they are helping to pay these expenses whether their child 
goes to school or not; and that it is a financial loss to them when 
their children are absent from the school that they are helping to 
support. 

The pupil who is not a regular attendant, does an injustice both 
to his classmates and the teacher. The teacher cannot and does 
not divide the class, and therefore must keep the regular attend¬ 
ants back with those who have been absent and are catching up. 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 53 


Teachers 

One of the most neglected and little appreciated classes of people 
in our county are the school teachers, and the teacher is one of the 
most important factors in our school system. Buildings, grounds 
and equipment are necessary, but they count for nothing if there 
is not a good teacher or teachers to supervise and teach the child 
that attends the school. Lexington County employed 255 teachers 
in 1920, and of this number, we know that there are some who are 
inefficient. Some teach because they cannot do anything else; 
others teach because they love the work and want to serve human¬ 
ity. Our county needs real teachers who are prepared to teach, 
but we cannot have these on the salaries now being paid our 
teachers. 

In 1920 Lexington County ranked 46th or at the bottom in sal¬ 
aries paid white men teachers, with an average annual salary of 
$537.60, and 46th or at the bottom again in salaries paid white 
women teachers, with an average annually of $385.38. In com¬ 
paring these salaries with those of other counties, we sec that 
Charleston stands at the top, paying her white men teachers an 
annual average salary of $2,317.62. This county also pays her white 
women teachers $890.25 annually, the largest salary of any county 
in the state. Aren’t these figures enough to make, good loyal Lex- 
ingtonians feel like taking a back seat? But shall we? No, let’s 
pay our teachers more and have the best that money can get. 

Just here we will give the average annual salaries in a few other 
professions in Lexington County, and these figures too are among 
the lowest in the state. These figures are taken from the report 
of the labor division of the State Department of-Agriculture, Com¬ 
merce and Industries, for the year 1920. - The men - over 16 years 
of age in the textile industry received annually on the average 
$767.10, and the womefi over 16 years of, age received an average 
annual salary of $563.62. The cotton . seed oil mill employees re¬ 
ceived on an average of $405.58 for the year. The brick and textile 
employees on an average of $663.65 for the year. Altho these sal¬ 
aries seem small in comparison to the salaries paid in other coun¬ 
ties for similar work, yet they are much more than the salaries 
paid our school teachers in Lexington County. Should you pay 
more to the man who makes your brick than to the man of woman 
to whom you have entrusted the bringing up and training of your 
child? It is true that our teachers have received more in the last 
few years, but they are not receiving what they rightfully deserve. 


54 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


We should consider the time and the money it takes to equip 
oneself for the teaching profession. 

The average annual salary paid white men teachers increased 
146 per cent from 1910 to 1920, while the salary paid white women 
teachers increased 215 per cent. This is a very encouraging in¬ 
crease, but it has not any more than kept pace with the increased 
cost of living. 


Consolidation 

Consolidation of schools means a lot more than simply doing 
away with the one-teacher schools. It means the putting of a 
good graded and high school in the reach of every boy and girl in 
our county. The boy or girl who lives many miles irom the nigh 
school in town deserves the benefit of a high school as well as the 
one who lives near. In this sense of the word, Lexington County 
has not advanced very far, because our high and graded schools 
are so few. 

Some one has said: “The average farmer and rural teacher 
think of the rural school as a little house, on a little ground, with 
a little equipment, where a little teacher, for a little while at a little 
salary, teaches little children, little things.” According to the last 
report of the State Superintendent of Education, out of a total of 
2,305 white schools, 915 were one-teacher schools, 620 were two- 
teacher, and 324 were three-teacher schools. Approximately 40 
per cent of our white schools employ one teacher; 67 per cent 
have two teachers, and 81 per cent employ three teachers. In Lex¬ 
ington County there are 78 white schools, and 26 of these, or 33 
per cent, are one-teacher schools. 

The most practical solution of the country school situation lies 
in the consolidated school. The use of these consolidated rural 
schools as social centers has a great influence upon the prosper¬ 
ity and intellectual development of the people who live in the 
country. This movement has only begun and its continued pro¬ 
gress is dependent upon the improvement of highways and high¬ 
way transportation, and the moral and financial support of our 
people. 

One of the best examples of consolidated schools is the Lees- 
ville-Batesburg High School located about midway between these 
two towns. It serves more than twice the children at its present 
location than if it had been built in either of these two towns. 
The Chapin High School, located at Chapin, is not exactly the con¬ 
solidation of a number of small schools, but this district was en- 


atesburg-Leesville Centralized High School 



































































Lexington County : Economic and Social 55 


larged and a few of the smaller schools were removed in order to 
make this graded and high school possible, and it is doing good 
work, being the only high school between Little Mountain and Co¬ 
lumbia, and Broad and Saluda rivers. We need more such schools 
in the rural districts of our county. 

The fact that a child happens to be born in the country should 
be no reason why he is not provided with as good an education 
as the child in the city. His rights are of equal importance with 
those of the urban child; it is as much the duty of the state to pro¬ 
vide the country boy and girl with good educational facilities as 
it is for the city boy or girl to possess these advantages. The 
consolidated school is the only practical help for the country child. 
Some of the advantages of the consolidation of schools are: 

1. The consolidated school is a large enough school to warrant 
the service of a competent superintendent. 

2. The transportation of pupils to the consolidated school has 
resulted in a larger and more regular attendance and has elimi¬ 
nated tardiness. 

3. Children are no longer compelled to wear wet shoes all day 
after walking thru rain and mud; thus health is conserved. 

4. More go to high school. 

5. Pupils can be better grouped into classes on the basis of ad¬ 
vancement. 

6. There can be a greater vitalization of the school work by 
more courses, such as music, manual training, domestic science, 
agriculture, sanitation, etc. 

7. The contact with a larger number of children broadens the 
child’s vision and gives a more enlightened view-point. Their in¬ 
fluence exerts itself over the whole community. 

8. Teachers of a higher caliber are attracted to the consolidated 
school and the teaching force is much more stable. 

9. The larger numbers of teachers and pupils gives a more sat¬ 
isfactory working basis. 

10. The consolidated school makes possible better school 
rooms, better light, better heat, ventilation and sanitation. 

11. The morals of pupils are bettered as they are under closer 
supervision. 

12. The consolidated school provides amusements and enter¬ 
tainment in community sports, festivals, exhibits, plays, picnics 
and parties. 


56 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 


13. Consolidation develops a broader functioning. Young peo¬ 
ple have more confidence in themselves and seek a part in the 
community activities. 

14. Consolidation develops in the community the power of 
leadership. 

15. The consolidated school gives to the country child all the 
advantages of rural life. 

16. The consolidated school goes a long way in meeting the 
one big cause of the boys’ deserting the farm—the desire of asso¬ 
ciation. 

Negro Schools 

The negro schools of Lexington County have received little 
or no attention during the past. Only a few of the colored schools 
in the county extend beyond three or four months in the year, 
and the teachers are of a very inferior type. If the negro had the 
right kind of educational advantages it would help both the whites 
and the colored. He would make a more useful and efficient 
laborer; he would become an asset instead of a liability to the 
community in which he lives. 

In 1920 we spent $114,227.97 for white schools and $7,323.86 for 
negro schools. The per capita expenditure for whites in 1920 was 
$16.75 and for the negro was only $1.82. How can we expect the 
negro to make any progress or be a really useful inhabitant so 
long as he must, live in such ignorance? Let’s give the negroes 
in our county a chance to help themselves, and thereby help us, 
by giving them better educational advantages. 

Rank of Lexington County in School Matters 


22nd—In total value of all school property, 1920....!. $289,515 

Greenville leads with $2,568,374; Jasper is last 
with $38,042. 

46th—In annual salaries paid white women teachers 

in 1920 -___.___$385.38 

Charleston leads with $890.25 per year; Lexington 
is last with $385.38. 

46th—In annual salaries paid white men teachers in 1920 $532.60 

Charleston leads with $2,317.62 per year; Lexing¬ 
ton stands last again with $537.60, 







Lexington County : Economic and Social 57 


20th—In average number of pupils to school according 

to enrollment (white), 1920 _ 77 

Charleston leads with 132; Berkeley last with 31. 

37th—In average number of pupils to school according 

to enrollment (colored)', 1920 _ 61 

Charleston leads with 132; Jasper last with 41. 

19th—In average number of pupils to school according 

to average attendance (white), 1920 _ 48 

Charleston leads with 114; Jasper last with 21. 

35th—In average number of pupils to school according 

to average attendance (colored), 1920.. 43 

Charleston leads with 130; Jasper last with 2.7. 

17th—In percentage of white schools that are one- 

teacher schools, 1920 ___ 36.36 

Darlington leads with 10.34; Beaufort stands last 
with 76.47 per cent. 

40th—In average length of session in days in white coun¬ 
try schools, 1920 _ 113 

Charleston leads with 159; Cherokee last with 90 
days. 

4th—In number of school districts levying special tax, 

1920 _„______ 97 

Horry leads with 93; Jasper last with 4. 

13th—In receipts from State appropriation, 1920- $23,359.00 

Spartanburg leads with $49,511.38; Jasper last with 
$3,180. 

44th—In average length of session in days for white 

town schools, 1920 - 132 

Calhoun leads with 180 days; Horry last with 136 
days. 

7th—In average number of pupils to teacher( white) 

1920 __ 23 

Greenville last with 31; Williamsburg and Jasper 
lead with 15 each. 

32nd—In average number of pupils to teacher (colored) 

1920 _ _ _ 38 

Calhoun leads with 82; Jasper and Newberry last 
with 27 each. 

14th—In percentage of enrolled pupils in regular at¬ 
tendance (both races), 1920 - 72.88 

Georgetown leads with 84.89 per cent; Anderson 
last with 62.71 per cent. 

4th—In number of local school tax districts, 1920. n 

Greenville leads with 97; Beaufort last with 9, 




























58 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


Ten Year Gains in Lexington County Schools 



1910 

1920 

Percent 

Gain 

Total revenue .... ..„... 

$36,812.01 

$126,421.65 

243 

Total value school property (white) 

♦ 

503,353.00 


Total value school property(colored) 

* 

15,307.00 


Number local districts with extra levy 

20 

77 

285 

Number of town schools __ 

16 

27 

68 

Number of country schools 

69 

110 

59 

Number of white teachers .- .......... 

184 

189 

1.0 

Number of white school-houses _ 

85 

77 

f 9.4 

Spent for teachers and supervisors... 

$29,246.50 

$86,765.68 

196 

Spent for teachers and supplies _ 

$32,980.45 

$208,317.51 

531 

Total enrollment 

6,405 

10,842 

69 

Average daily attendance .. 

4,467 

7,902 

74 

Average annual salary (white men) 

$218 

$537.60 

146 

Average annual salary (white) 




women) . ■.... .... 

$122 

$385.38 

215 

Average annual salary (colored 




men) ._ .... _ . 

$39 

$92.52 

136 

Average annual salary (colored 




women) _ ._ 

$54 

$105.58 

97 


*Figures not given by the County Superintendent of Education, 
f—decrease. 



































VII. 


LEXINGTON AGRICULTURE 


D. S. Shull. 


Idle Lands 

The approximate land area of Lexington County is 498,560 acres. 
Of this amount, according to the 1920 Census, 173,560 acres are 
idle. This estimate allows 50,000 acres of woodland for fuel and 
timber purposes. The land occupied by the towns in the county 
is also included in this, but this area is comparatively small. This 
gives Lexington a rank of third, only two other counties having 
a larger amount of idle lands. Horry ranks first and Colleton 
second. Allendale has less idle lands than any other county in 
the state, having only 3,833 acres. Of the per cent of the total 
area that is woodland, Lexington ranks second, with 41.7 per cent. 
And in woodland in farms Lexington ranks eighth with 55 per 
cent. This means that 43 other counties in the state are utilizing 
their lands to better cultural advantage than Lexington. The 1920 
Census gives Lexington County a rank of 39th in the per cent of 
improved farm land per county with 41 per cent or 155,141 acres. 
Barnwell leads the state with 68.4 per cent improved. The aver¬ 
age improved acres per farm in Lexington County is 32.2 acres, 
thus giving it a rank of 22nd. The average size farm in Lexing¬ 
ton County is 78.6 acres. This leaves 46.4 acres in unimproved 
farm lands on each average farm. 

The above described conditions should not exist in a county so 
favorably situated as Lexington. It would be inadvisable and im¬ 
practicable to turn all the idle lands at once to producing. What 
should be done is to gradually increase the productive land until 
all the idle lands are taken up. These 173,529 acres assure a farm 
to each of the 951 white tenants in the county and then there is 
enough land to offer those who wish to come into the state from 
outside. 

Livestock 

Lexington County ranks 8th in the production of livestock pro¬ 
ducts per person according to the 192Q Census, with a per capita 




60 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


value of $16.27. Edgefield ranks first with a per capita value of 
$22.06. This gives Edgefield a lead of $5.79, or over 35 per cent. 
This is an extremely good showing for Lexington County, but 
there is no reason why we should not rank with Edgefield. 

From 1910 to 1920 the cattle in Lexington County increased 17 
per cent, giving a rank of 24th. Dillon was first with an increase 
of only 1.09 per cent. The per capita beef production was 7 
pounds, giving a rank of 41st. The state average was 17.8 pounds. 

During the same period the hogs increased 91 per cent, giving 
Lexington a rank of 17th. Anderson was first with an increase 
of 276 per cent. We rank 17th in the per capita production of 
pork with 87.9 pounds. 

From 1910 to 1920, Lexington showed an increase of 47.9 per 
cent in poultry of all kinds, with a rank of 18th. Charleston is 
first with 97.4 per cent. According to the 1920 Census Lexington 
County produced 13 pounds of poultry per person, thus giving 
Lexington a rank of third. Saluda was first with 15.4 pounds and 
Beaufort second with 13.9 pounds. 

Farm Tenancy 

This topic has already been discussed at some length in the 
chapter on wealth and taxation but it will not be out of place to 
state some of the facts again in this chapter. It is a problem, not 
for every farmer, but for every citizen of Lexington County. As 
has already been said of the total number of farms in the county 
46.2 per cent are operated by tenants. This is 18.3 per cent better 
than the state. 

It is very interesting to note that Lexington County has con¬ 
siderably less tenancy than does her neighboring counties. Fol¬ 
lowing are the bordering counties and their percentages: Fair- 
field 73.8; Richland 64.1; Calhoun 72.7; Orangeburg 65.9; and 
Saluda 64.4. 

Statistics show that tenancy is to a certain extent inherited; that 
is, there is a tendency for sons of tenants to be tenants. This is 
natural since the father’s example does not inspire and urge his 
son on to ownership but contents himself with letting his son 
follow in his footsteps—a tenant. 

Tenancy always couples itself with illiteracy and where the 
greatest amount of tenancy is found there also is found the high¬ 
est percentage of illiteracy. 

Mr. David F. Houston, former Secretary of Agriculture, says: 
“The tenant, on an average, remains on the same farm about one- 
sixth or less than the average land owning farmer,” The tenant 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 61 

then could be classed as a “tramp farmer.” He takes no interest 
in the community, nor in the upkeep of the farm and its build¬ 
ings. Cotton, the “money crop,” is usually the only crop planted. 
Food and feed crops are neglected, the tenant depending on his 
landlord to furnish him or make arrangements with the merchant. 

The tenant class is not to be condemned; it is in a considerable 
measure from this class that the future population of South Caro¬ 
lina will be made. They should be encouraged and aided in the 
purchasing of a farm for themselves. With the Federal Land 
Bank functioning as it should, there should be a rapid decrease in 
this county, the state and nation. 

Seven Evils of the One Crop System 

Seven fundamental evils of the one crop system are: (1) it im¬ 
poverishes the soil; (2) it increases the risk of the farming enter¬ 
prise; (3) it makes the supply of money available at one time and 
develops the time-credit system; (4) it makes the marketing 
machinery difficult; (5) idleness of machinery and labor; (6) 
lowers the general intelligence of farm labor; (7) it has a depress¬ 
ing effect on the social life of the community. A discussion of 
these evils is not necessary for it is obvious from the mere state¬ 
ments themselves what a bad effect they have on agricultural, ad¬ 
vancement. 

As was stated above the tenant must plant a crop that will bring 
him ready cash, therefore he devotes all of his time to the one 
crop—cotton. 

In 1920, 48 per cent of the total acreage of the crops in South 
Carolina was cotton and 51 per cent of the value of the eleven 
leading crops was cotton. Therefore, we join the list of the 
states practicing the one-crop system. 

There should be a more balanced farming program. Supple¬ 
mentary crops should be selected rather than competing crops. 
Supplementary crops are those that fit in and profitably employ 
the labor, stock and machinery, as corn, and oats. Competing 
crops are those that demand working and care at the same time; 
as, for example, cotton, tobacco and potatoes. What we should 
do above all else is live at home. The point is that one crop 
should not be the sole reliance, but where the crops conflict and 
the increase of one requires the decrease of the other, various 
rules may be used to aid in passing judgment. 

Non-Food Crops 

The total value of non-food crops produced in Lexington Coun¬ 
ty in 1920 was $6,254,455, giving us a rank of 24th. Orangeburg, 


62 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


which lead the state, produced non-food crops, valued at $18,216,- 
362. Cotton is the chief non-food and money crop in Lexington 
County. In fact this is true throughout the State and the South. 
It is the only non-food crop produced in the county for commerce. 
The year 1921 was more or less an abnormal year in as much as 
the total cotton crop was concerned for by this time the boll weevil 
had covered the entire state and therefore the crop was below the 
average. During this year Lexington County had a rank of 27th 
with 9,000 bales. Spartanburg led the state in production with 
71,000 bales. In the production in pounds per acre in 1920, Lex¬ 
ington ranks 13th with 258 pounds. Marlboro led the state with 
336 pounds per acre. 

Machinery on the Farm 

Lexington County makes an extremely good showing in the 
value of implements and machinery on improved lands per acre; 
ranking second with a value of $10.69, and being outclassed only 
by Anderson with a value per acre of $11.69. The average for the 
entire state was $7.77. 

During the last two decades, thru the effort's of Clemson Col¬ 
lege and the U. S. Department of Agriculture, together with some 
of the larger manufacturers of farm machinery, the farmers 
throughout the United States have come to realize the value of 
machinery on the farm and consequently there has been a rapid 
growth. 

It is true in some sections of the state and possibly in the coun¬ 
ty that it is impossible to use all types of improved machinery, 
due to the topography of the area, but there is no place where 
a minimum amount of improved farm machinery cannot be used. 

No one will question the vast amount of labor that is saved and 
time that is gained by the use of improved farm machinery and 
more especially is this so when it is compared with the condition 
of sixty years ago,—the plantation with its many slaves. Machin¬ 
ery has been objected to on the ground that it displaces labor; 
the same argument that was used when the loom and spinning 
jenny were introduced in England. The objectors overlook the 
fact that at the same time it increases production and at the same 
time calls for a higher developed intellectual type of labor. The 
higher developed our farmers are the more progress our state will 
make. 

Negro Owned and Operated Farms 

Of the 4,816 farms in Lexington County in 1920, 2,227 or 46.2 
per cent were operated by tenants. Of these 2,227 farms operated 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 63 


by tenants, 1,276 or 57.3 per cent were operated by negro tenants. 
Of this number, 189 or 4 per cent were owned by negroes. 

As a rule the per cent of negro tenancy is greater than the per¬ 
centage of population that is negro. Lexington County had a 
negro population in 1920, of 36.3 per cent and a negro tenancy 
of 66 per cent. The reverse is true of the white population, which 
is 63.7 per cent and the white tenancy 43.4 per cent. 

The Soil and Its Care 

Many persons look upon soil as “dirt,” something to be avoided. 
It is almost invariably thought of as a dead thing. G. F. Warren 
in his text book on “Elements of Agriculture,” says, '*it is teeming 
with life.” An agricultural soil is made up of (1) small rock par¬ 
ticles; (2) soil water, and (3) soil air. Especially important are 
the last two. 

Practically all of the soils of Lexington County are sand or 
sandy loam types, very few being of the clay type. It is extreme¬ 
ly difficult to get these soils to hold their moisture. At the same 
time Mr. Warren in his text mentioned above says that a plant is 
able to draw more moisture from a sandy soil than a clay soil. 

The amount of water a soil retains has a determining effect on 
the temperature of the soil. The clay soils being able to retain 
more moisture are colder soils than are the sandy. This makes 
the sandy soils extremely desirable for early truck and fruit. 

One of the best practices that is recommended in order to in¬ 
crease and help maintain the humus supply is the planting of win¬ 
ter cover crops and turning them under when their succulence is 
near the maximum, as this carries the maximum amount of water 
under and encourages a rapid and complete decay. The winter 
cover crops as well as acting as a source of enrichment, acts as 
a protector to the soil, thereby preventing its erosion. Where 
needed it is extremely valuable to terrace in order to prevent the 
finer particles of the soil from being eroded by water and thus 
preventing the land from becoming coarse and also exposing the 
clay sub-soils. Where the cover crops are used, however, terrac¬ 
ing requires little pains. 

Fortunately, with the exception of a very few areas of swamp 
lands Lexington County is very well drained. Excess water in 
the soil prevents the presence of air and this is a necessity for 
plant life. A normal soil is about one-half pore space. 

Humus can be classed as decaying or partly decayed organic 
matter. Its functions are many. It increases the water holding 
power, which is particularly important in our sandy soil. It 


64 Lexington County : Economic and Social 

loosens heavy soil and promotes aeration, which are of special 
importance in clay soils. It also provides food for bacteria. 

When properly built up and worked the soils of Lexington 
County are very easily maintained and kept. 

Facts About Farm Conditions and Practices 

12th—In total farm wealth, 1920..$24,712,046.00 


23rd—In farm wealth increase, 1910-1920, per cent- 129.9 

17th—In per capita country wealth, 1920- $749.84 

Marlboro first with $1,129.63. 

38th—In negro farm owners. Percentage of negro 

owned farms _ 4 

13th—In total number of farms _ 4,816 

17th—In percentage increase in hogs, 1910-1920_ 91 

18th—In poultry increase, 1910-1920, per cent _ 47.9 

24th—In cattle increase, 1910-1920, per cent _ .17 

Dillon first with 1.09. 

38th—In farm tenancy, 1920, per cent _ 46.2 

Marlboro first with 85.6 per cent; State average 
64.5 per cent. 

27th—In cotton production, 1921 (bales) _ 9,000 

Spartanburg first with 71,000 bales. 

13th—In cotton production in 1920; pounds per acre_ 258 

Marlboro first with 336 pounds. 

24th—In value of non-food crops produced, 1919_ $6,254,455 

Orangeburg first with $18,216,362. 

20th—In per capita crop values, 1920___ $134.10 

Calhoun first with $234.01. 

2nd in percentage area in woodland_ 41.7 

Horry first with 43.1 per cent. 

8th—In live stock products per person, 1920... $16.27 

Edgefield first with $22.06. 

34th—In oat production per acre, bushels ,1919_ 14.7 

Marlboro first with 28 bushels; State average 18.3 
bushels. 

dth—In per cent value that non-food crops are of total 

crop values, 1919 _ 66 

26th—In per capita corn production, 1919, (bushels)_ 17 

Calhoun first, 31.8 bushels; State average 16.3 bu. 

30th—In corn production in bushels per acre, 1919_ 13.1 

Charleston first with 23.6 bushels; State average 
15 bushels. 

1st—In wheat production per capita, bushels, 1919_ 1.9 



























Lexington County : Economic and Social 65 


25th—In wheat production per acre, bushels, 1919_ 7.5 

Dillon first with 13 bushels; State average 7.4 bu. 

1st—In egg deficit per person, dozens, 1920_.._ 2.6 

3rd—In hay and forage produced, total crop, tons, 1919 17,869 

Orangeburg first with 19,775 tons. 

17th—In bushels of corn produced in county, 1919_ 607,820 

Orangeburg first with 1,460,318 bushels. 


Lexington County Livestock: 1920 Census 


1. Animal units on hand: Animal Units 

6,936 mature work animals _:_6,936 

52 spring colts (1-4) _ 13 

5,576 dairy cows _ 5,576 

2,153 yearling colts (1-2)' _ 1,076 

1,281 other cattle (1-2) _ 640 

11,547 mature hogs (1-5) _ 2,309 

9,922 spring pigs (1-10) _ 993 

111 mature sheep plus 529 goats (1-7)_ 91 

30 lambs (1-14)'___ 2 

133,056 poultry (1-100) _ 1,330 


Total animal units —_18,976 

2. Animal units needed: 378,680 acres divided by 5- 75,723 

Per cent of animals in a lightly stocked farm area— 25.6 

Per cent below the level- 74.4 


There should be one animal unit for every five acres of land in 
farms. A unit is one horse, one cow, two colts, five hogs, seven 
sheep, or one hundred hens. 




















VIII. 


i 

BALANCE SHEET IN FOOD AND FEED PRODUCTION 


D. S. Shull. 


In 1920, Lexington County consumed $6,754,354 worth of food 
and feed, whereas it produced food and feed supplies amounting 
to $4,036,849.. The fact is that there was a shortage of $2,717,505 
in the food and feed produced. Obviously this is the amount 
going out of the county each year for food and feed supplies. If 
the inhabitants of the various towns of the county be excluded 
the farmers would still suffer a deficit ip food and feed of $230,781. 

During the year 1920, the money crops, consisting chiefly of 
cotton, sold for $6,254,455. The money crop values did pay the 
imported food and feed bill, with an excess of $3,536,950. Lex¬ 
ington County makes an excellent showing among the various 
counties of the state in that the difference between the food and 
feed deficit and the money crop values is not an actual loss but a 
gain. 

The type of farming in Lexington County as a whole is self 
sufficing or live at home and especially is this true of the thrifty 
folk that constitute the population of the Dutch Fork. As the 
name would imply they are descendents of the Dutch and German 
and both are recognized throughout the state as some of its most 
thrifty citizens. 

There is only one criticism to offer of Lexington’s showing, and 
that is that if this deficit of $2,717,505 be produced in food and 
feed stuffs it would erase the deficit from the balance sheet and 
at the same time keep the money in the county. Lexington Coun¬ 
ty has the resources to make herself self-sufficing and her citizens 
should put no other goal ahead of this. 

The above food bill does not include dainties and luxuries; only 
the staple food and feed stuffs being considered. The figures are 
based on the 14th Census and the average annual consumption 
figures compiled from data given out by the Federal Department of 
Agriculture. 

It must be remembered, in this connection, that the year 1919 
was an unusually good cotton year and high prices generally pre- 




Lexington County : Economic and Social 67 


vailed. With the advent of the boll weevil these conditions have 
been materially changed as to yield. There is even more emphasis 
needed upon the live-at-home program. 

The Shortage in Detail 

The shortage consisted of 76,655 pounds of meat; 1,395,184 
pounds of butter; 226,697 fowls; 94,453 dozen eggs; 498,136 bush¬ 
els of corn; 74,548 bushels of wheat. This enormous shortage is 
occuring year after year, when if each farmer would endeavor to 
increase the food supply by a small margin the balance sheet 
would be reversed. There are 4,816 farms of all sizes in the coun¬ 
ty, and if each farm would add to the output 25 pounds of pork, 
300 pounds of butter, 25 pounds of beef, 30 fowls, 50 bushels of 
corn, and 10 bushels of wheat, then Lexington County could send 
away all comers with laden baskets like grandmother of old. By 
“farm” is meant all the land which is directly farmed by one per, 
son, whether owner, tenant or manager. 

Some Reasons for Deficit 

The main factors causing Lexington’s deficit are: (l)The one 
crop system, or the absorbing interest in cotton growing; (2) the 
system of land tenure; and (3) the lack of a good local market. 

The persistence with which cotton growing is clung to rests 
primarily upon the ease of marketing the crop. A farmer, like 
any other business man, needs some means of realizing ready 
cash. Since a home market for this staple has been a long estab¬ 
lished fact, it follows that in order to meet the market demand, 
cotton production would naturally take first place in Lexington’s 
agriculture. No corporation is going to manufacture an article 
unless there is the assurance of a ready market. To do so would 
be a foolish venture. The same is true of the farmer. The de¬ 
mand for cotton is perpetual, hence he plants cotton. 

On the other hand, when a means is devised whereby the farm¬ 
ers can realize immediate cash from food and feed crops at a rea¬ 
sonable rate or profit there would no longer be the necessity to 
adhere to cotton growing. 

Up to the present time, what food and feed surplus a farmer 
might have had on hand had to be disposed of either by the ped¬ 
dling method, or at a price usually entailing a loss, depending 
upon local conditions. If the market was glutted by imported 
goods he had to dump his produce at a sacrifice, so he returned 
home determined never to plant anything but cotton. With the 
advent of the auto truck and the proximity to Columbia, the second 


68 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


largest city in the state, this condition to a certain extent may 
be overcome. 

In 1920, 46.2 per cent of all the county’s farms were operated 
by tenants. Most of them were share tenants; i. e. a certain 
share of the products, as one-half, one-third, or one-fourth, was 
given the owner each year. Under this system little effort is 
made to preserve the fertility of the soil, and to grow any other 
product than cotton. It is only natural where tenants ars con¬ 
tinually shifting, remaining an average of two or three years on 
the same farm, that the crop promising the greatest return is going 
to be adhered to. Both the landlord and the tenant are usually 
looking for the greatest return, and having no well organized mar¬ 
kets for food and feed crops they must continue to neglect the 
production of such crops. 

A money crop is imperative under the present system of credit; 
that is, for the tenant, at least, if not for the landlord. For sev¬ 
eral decades this credit system has been in practice with the result 
that today few tenants are able to run themselves throughout the 
cultivating period. The supply merchant must tide them over to 
gathering time, when to meet his accumulated bill the tenant must 
necessarily have a commodity easily exchangeable for cash. 

Just so long as these conditions prevail will the farm tenant 
continue to plant cotton. When every tenant has become his own 
creditor, his own landlord and ample markets are provided, then 
will Lexington overcome her food and feed shortage and have a 
surplus to ship out of her boundaries, retaining and increasing its 
wealth manifold times. 

The Banks to the Rescue 

The bank can exert considerable influence on almost any econ¬ 
omic problem. It has become the melting pot of business trans¬ 
actions. The size and character of any business are molded with¬ 
in the bounds of the bank. It has so rooted itself in the modern 
business world that few projects are undertaken wholly without. 
This, by virtue of continuous contact with purchaser and creditor, 
makes it possible for the banks to influence the swing of the pen¬ 
dulum. Money is the check rein of industry, and an intelligent 
pull of the rein can influence our agriculture on its newly discov¬ 
ered road. With the banks controlling to a great extent the dis¬ 
tribution of money among the farmers there is room for them to 
aid in molding the farming system of county and state. 

Texas banks are refusing to lend money to the farmer doing 
business on the credit system unless he agrees to plant a stipu- 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 69 

lated acreage to food and feed crops. They say it is better to aid 
y this means than to allow millions of dollars to leave the state 
annually for foods.. All the cash would be retained with a yearly 
increase in per capita wealth. The result would be a greater vol¬ 
ume of business, which would benefit farmer, merchant and bank. 

This method would work in this state without doubt and is 
highly desirable. If this method be introduced more good can be 
accomplished in a short period of time than by any other known 
method possessed by the farmers themselves. 

All that is needed is to break the farmer away from the one, 
or cotton crop system. If the banks would adopt the above 
method for two or three years all the food and feed needed would 
be raised at home and the farms would become self-sufficing. 
The relation of the merchant and farmer would be cash as com¬ 
pared to the credit formerly. Banks, farmers and merchants could 
then use their money for the development of the county and state 
instead of feeding it. 

Local Market Problem of First Rank 

The local market is today a problem of greatest importance 
with students of marketing somewhat at a loss as to what is best 
to recommend. 

In the past little attention has been given to the market for 
home raised foods. Producers and consumers have been content 
to remain at the extreme ends of the ever lengthening chain of 
marketing. Shrewd and energetic men have mad6 use of the op¬ 
portunity offered by the unconcern of the farmer and consumer 
and have set up a complex system thru which the farmer’s produce 
must go before it reaches the consuming public. The number of 
middlemen has been constantly increasing, each exacting his toll 
and making wider and wider the gulf between the producer and 
consumer. The natural result is that the farmer continues to re¬ 
ceive the minimum return for his produce, while the cost to the 
consuming public mounts higher and higher. The consumer’s 
dollar decreases to the utmost. Then the cry of “high cost of 
living” is heard at every turn. The consensus of opinion is that it 
is a national problem. It is nation wide but it is also a “next door 
neighbor” to each of us. Place the farmer or the producer and 
the consumer on the correct level and the problem is solved. 

Recently the Citrus Fruit Growers’ Association of California, 
after doing everything in its power to reduce the middleman to 
a minimum, found that only twenty-eights cents out of every 
dollar went to the producer, the remaining seventy-two cents being 
divided among the merchants, pickers, packers and transporters. 


70 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


The producer by himself cannot solve the problem. There must 
be cooperation. So long as the ends of the chain remain unjoined 
the consumer will pay higher prices and the producer continue to 
receive low returns for his produce. 

One Aid to the Local Marketing Problem: 

The Potato Storage House 

Lexington County farmers seeing the wisdom of the Potato 
Storage House have entered into an agreement whereby a potato 
storage house conforming to the specifications offered by Clem- 
son College and the U. S. Department of Agriculture, is under 
construction. This house will be of such size as to accommodate 
a fair proportion of the county’s crop. 

Eighty per cent of the sweet potatoes produced in the United 
States are produced below the Mason-Dixon line. If you go to 
the northern markets it is found that eighty per cent of the pota¬ 
toes on the market are grown north of the Mason-Dixon line. 
The logical question is, what becomes of the potatoes grown south 
of the Mason-Dixon line? The fact is that thru improper.storage 
and shipping conditions the greater part of the crop is subjected 
to rot. 

The potato house, at least one in every community in the state, 
will do much to remedy this condition. 

In some of the counties of the state the farmers are already pre¬ 
paring to make shipments abroad. This is doubtless a profitable 
project, but if the farmers in this county do not cater to a foreign 
market, it goes without doubt that there will always be a waiting 
home market in South Carolina. 

Farming Under Boll Weevil Conditions 

With the advent of the boll weevil, the farmer will either have 
to continue to grow cotton at a loss, which he will not be able to 
do on account of financial conditions, or else turn to diversification. 
Diversification means self-sufficing farming because there is no 
other money crop to take the place of cotton. 

In a bulletin, “Farming Under Boll Weevil Conditions,” issued 
by the Extension Service, Clemson College, a plan of diversified 
farming is outlined. 

After discussing the best types of cotton to plant and the value 
of rapid cultivation and fertilizing the statement is made: “Make 
the farm self-supporting,” and then a program is outlined. 

There should be a good all-year home garden on every farm, re¬ 
gardless of size, as this is one of the leading sources of food sup- 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 71 


ply which makes it of first importance and indispensable value. 
The underlying principles involved in good gardening are known 
to every farmer. Where they are not known or more information 
is desired the U. S. Department of Agriculture thru the Extension 
Service of Clemson College will gladly supply bulletins on the 
subject. 

A good home in all sections of the state and the development of 
fruit growing commercially is recommended, and Lexington Coun¬ 
ty is one of the sections where such farming could be developed 
commercially Most farmers plant their orchards and then leave 
them to the mercy of the various insects and diseases to which 
they are susceptible. The fruit tree of the best quality, not un¬ 
like the best blooded animal, will gradually starve if underfed, 
be good prey for insects and diseases and be unprofitable. 

The ridge section thru Lexington County is already famous for 
its peaches and should be developed to a greater exrent than it 
is at present. 

The type of dairy recommended for, or best suited to the aver¬ 
age need in South Carolina is the family cow, except near big cities 
where larger dairies or creameries are advisable. With an abund¬ 
ance of milk, blitter and cream for the family, 25 to 35 per cent of 
the grocery bill will be saved. There should be at least two cows 
on each farm of a family of five. 

Sufficient poultry should be provided for the entire larm. The 
keeping of a flock of laying hens on the farm is an important part 
of good general farm management. Eggs are a highly nutritious 
food and are so widely used as to be almost indispensable. Aside 
from the eggs received, the meat side of poultry raising should 
not be overlooked. Poultry meat is very palatable and nutritious, 
is relished by all and is especially desirable for the sick and the 
weak. 

There should be a conservative development of the hog indus¬ 
try also; at least enough hogs raised to supply the needs of the 
farm. All feeds for hogs, save possibly a little tankage, should be 
home grown. 

In the diversified program the crop rotation is to a certain extent 
met. This results in a valuable upbuilding of the soil. 

Lexington County’s Showing Among the Counties 

By consulting the table following, “Facts About Food and Feed 
Production,” it will be seen that as a whole Lexington ranks well 
among the several counties, but special mention should be given 
to that in which Lexington leads the state; and for which her 
citizens should be proud. 


72 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


First in wheat production per person with 1.9 bushels, (1919). 

First in egg production, with 14.9 dozens per person and a deficit 
of only 2.6 dozens. 

Third in poultry production per person, with 13 pounds 

Third in the hay and forage crop produced, this being the only 
item in the balance sheet in which Lexington County had a sur¬ 
plus; this surplus amounted to 5,116 tons. 

Eighth in live stock products per person, with a per capita value 
of $16.27. 

The Farmers’ End of the Problem 

The farmers alone, however active they may be in furthering 
greater home production of food and feed, cannot do it all. The 
farmers must recognize their own position. It is for them to sup¬ 
ply their own needs for their own business first; then, to seek and 
supply the needs of their urban neighbors. It is not sound business 
to let farmers of other regions send to our very doors products 
easily grown at home. 

In order to have intelligent farming there should be means de¬ 
vised whereby every farmer can post himself on prices and market 
quotations and conditions. He should know the probable demand 
and regulate his supply in proportion to what the total will be. 


Facts About Food and Feed Production 

17th—In corn production (1919 crop) bushels.. 607,820 

Orangeburg led with 1,460,318 bushels. 

29th—In corn production per acre; bushels....... 13.1 

Average for the state, 15 bushels per acre; Charles¬ 
ton led with 23.6 bushels per acre, and Barnwell 
was 46th with 9.5 bushels per acre. 

26th—In per capita production of corn (bushels) . 17 


For man and animal there is needed 31 bushels; 
deficit per person 14 bushels; total deficit for 
county, 499,464 bushels; state average production, 
16.3 bushels per person. 


1st—In wheat production per person, (bushels)_ 1.9 

Needed 4 bushels per person; deficit per person, 

2.1 bushels; total deficit for Lexington County, 

74,919 bushels. 

25th—In wheat produced per acre, (bushels)_ 7.5 

Dillon led with 13 bushels per acre. 

3rd—In hay and forage produced; total crop in tons 17,869 
For each work animal per day 12 pounds; needed, 

10 pounds per day. 





Lexington County : Economic and Social 73 


25th—In oats produced per capita, (bushels)_ 1.8 

state average 2.1 bushels. 

34th—In oats produced in bushels per acre.. 14.7 

Total crop 67,399 bushels or 1.7 pints per work 
animal per day. 

41st—In beef production per person, (pounds)_ 7 

Beaufort ranks first with 129.8; state average 17.8. 

17th—In pork production per person, (pounds) _ 87.9 


Horry first with 183.3 pounds. Between 1910 and 
1920 Lexington’s number of hogs increased 91 per 
cent, ranking 17th in increase. Anderson was first 
with a 276 per cent increase, while the average for 
the state was 63.5 per cent. 

3rd—In poultry production per person (pounds) — 13.0 

Averaging Z l / 2 pounds per fowl this gives only 
3.8 fowls per person. Twelve fowls are needed 
per person; deficit for county 135,568. 

1st —In egg deficit per person; dozens_ 2.6 

Needed, 17.5 dozens per person; produced 14.9 
dozens per person; total production for county 
529,877 dozens. 

19th—In butter production per person (pounds) - 9 

Cherokee is first with 23.6 pounds; state average 
8.2 pounds. 

8th—In livestock products per person _ $16.27 

Edgefield led with $22.06; Charleston was lowest 
with $1.71 per dozen. Per capita crop production 
in Lexington was $134.10. This gives Lexington 
a rank of 20th. Calhoun leads with $234.01 and 
Charleston last with $25.37. 

Lexington County’s Balance Sheet in Foodstuffs: 1919 


1. Food and Feed Needed: 

35,676 people @ $161.28 ____ $5,653,825 

6,988 work animals @ $75.75- 529,341 

7,729 dairy cattle @ $35.67- 275,693 

1,281 other cattle @ $15.15 - 19,919 

141 sheep @ $3.44 --- 485 

21,469 swine @ $12.86 —..—- 276,091 


Total food and feed needed —.-----.— $6,754,354 

2, Food and Feed Produced: 

Food and feed crops ...... $3,101,342 

Dairy products . .. 175,604 




















74 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


Poultry products_,___ 393,535 

Honey and wax --- 11,040 

Animals sold and slaughtered _ 355,328 


Total food and feed produced .. $4,036,849 

Shortage in home rased food and feed _ $2,717,505 

Cotton and other non-food crop values _..... $6,254,455 

Distribution of Food and Feed Shortage 

1. Meat needed for 35,676 people @ 152 pounds. 5,422,752 

Meat produced: 

505 calves @ 150 pounds ... 75,750 

776 cattle @ 350 pounds _ 271,600 

201,415 poultry @ 3% pounds __ 704,947 

21,469 swine @ 200 pounds ........ 4,293,800 


Total meat produced _ 5,346,097 

Shortage ___ 76,655 

2. Butter needed for 35,676 people @ 48 pounds _ 1,717,448 

Produced _ 322,264 


Deficit___ 1,395,184 

3. Fowls need for 35,676 people @ 12 fowls each - 428,112 

Produced ____201,415 


Deficit _i_ 226,697 

4. Eggs needed for 35,676 people @ .17j4 dozens each— 624,330 

Produced _______ 529,877 


Deficit ___ 94,453 

5. Corn needed for 35,676 people @ 31 bushels_ 1,105,956 

Produced _ 607,820 


Deficit _ 498,136 

6. Wheat needed for 35,676 people @ 4 bushels _ 142,704 

Produced _ 68,156 


Deficit_ 74,548 

7. Hay needed for 6,988 work animals @ 10 pounds per 

day; tons_ 12,753 

Produced_____ 17,869 


Surplus tons ____ 5,116 














































IX. 


EVIDENCES OF PROGRESS 


J. E. Stockman. 


There remains much room for improvement in Lexington Coun¬ 
ty. But, in comparison with conditions as they existed ten or 
more years ago, we find many things of which the folks of Lex¬ 
ington County may be justly proud. On the whole, our people 
are progressive and are wide-awake in bettering all worth-while 
interests of the county. 


Wealth 

For the year 1910, $5,560,112 worth of property was placed on 
the tax books, and as was noted at another place only 42 per cent 
of the county’s property is placed upon the tax books. In this 
way, we find the real value of all property for 1910 to be $13,283,- 
362. This gives a per capita wealth of $413.18. For the year 1920, 
property amounting to $7,685,480 was placed upon the tax books. 
Figuring again on a 42 per cent basis, we find the real value to be 
$18,298,762. This gives a per capita wealth of $512.91. 

The increase in the per capita wealth during the years 1910-1920 
was $99.23, or 19 per cent. For this same period the taxable value 
of the property shows an increase of $2,125,368 or 27.5 per cent, 
and the actual value of $5,060,400. It is interesting to note that 
of the $2,125,368 actual increase, personal property increased in 
value $1,286,090 or 17.1 per cent. Lexington County, in 1920, had 
a rank of 19th in total taxable property. 

During the years 1910 to 1920, farm wealth in Lexington Coun¬ 
ty increased from $10,744,463 to $24,712,046, or about 130 per cent. 
During the same period the value of farm lands increased from 
$7,038,812 to $15,424,654, or about 119 per cent. During these 
years, the value of farm buildings increased from $2,018,070 to 
$5,316,501 or about 163 per cent. The value of farm implements 
and machinery increased from $419,938 to $1,659,514, or about 286 
per cent. During this same period, livestock on farms increased 
from $1,267,643 to $2,311,377, or about 82.5 per cent. From these 
figures we can readily see that the farmers of Lexington County 




76 Lexington County: Economic and Social 


have been making rapid progress during the last decade. If this 
increase can be kept up for a few decades more our farmers will 
be comparatively rich. 

The value of manufactured products during the year 1920 
amounted to $4,487,872, while the value of all manufactured pro¬ 
ducts in 1910 was $1,068,359. This shows the very encouraging in¬ 
crease of about 320 per cent in the last ten years. 

Lexington County with a population of 35,676 has eleven banks. 
One bank to every 3,243 people. In total wealth for 1920, accord¬ 
ing to the report of the State Tax Commission, Lexington ranked 
19th. 


Educational Advances 

Lexington County has developed more along educational lines, 
in the last ten years, than any other one thing. With the excep¬ 
tion of our poorly paid teachers our school system is getting to 
be fairly efficient. This is especially true of certain localities in 
the county. But even with this advancement our school system 
is far from ideal. 

The total expenditures for white and negro schools in 1910 
amounted to $208,317.51, an increase of 496.9 per cent. During 
the year 1920, the salaries paid white teachers was $79,993.13, and 
for colored teachers $6,772.55, or a total of $86,765.68 for both 
races. For the year 1910, white teachers received $27,684.35, and 
colored teachers $2,859.27, or a total of $29,543.62 for both races. 
We see an increase in the total paid for teachers’ salaries of 193.8 
per cent in the past ten years. These figures just quoted are en¬ 
couraging, and if we keep up such progress it will be only a ques¬ 
tion of a few more years until Lexington County teachers will be 
paid a right salary. 

We can take just a glimpse at the school attendance during the 
past ten years and see that much progress has been made. We 
note this both in enrollment and in average attendance. In 1910 
the total enrollment in white schools was 4,728, while the average 
attendance was 1,969, or about 46.7 per cent. In 1920 the enroll¬ 
ment in white schools was 6,817 with an average attendance of 
70.86 per cent. The colored enrollment for the same year was 
4,025 with an average attendance of 76.30 per cent. The total 
enrollment for both races in 1920 was 10,842, with an average at¬ 
tendance of 72.88 per cent. With proper cooperation on the part 
of parents, this average attendance will be increased still more. 

Everywhere over the county can be found handsome frame and 
brick school houses. Most of these have been built within recent 
years. The numjber of graced and high schools has grown con- 


Monroe Dormitory, Summerland College 


































Lexington County : Economic and Social 77 
* 

siderably during the last few years. Many of the one-teacher 
schools have been eliminated and their localities are being served 
by graded and high school. Many of the one and two-room un¬ 
attractive schoolhouses once so common over the county have 
passed out. They are replaced by beautiful school buildings with 
accommodations for two or more teachers, and a large and attrac- 
auditorium. Furniture and apparatus of the best kinds have found 
their way into most of our school houses, and have supplanted the 
unattractive, and uncomfortable bench. Dirty blackboards that 
were once very common in our country schoolhouses have given 
way to blackboards that are clean and neat. Our ^teachers are 
being paid much more than in former years. Realizing that if we 
are to have the most capable and efficient teachers in our schools 
they must be well paid, Lexington is beginning to make it possi¬ 
ble for her schools to have this class of teachers. The latest 
report on teachers’ salaries in the State has taken Lexington sev¬ 
eral places from the bottom where she once was. Going to school 
is being made attractive and a pleasure to the average boy and girl. 
In all school matters Lexington County is making progress. 
Nevertheless, we have just begun to realize the possibilities for 
improvement in the school system and we are yet far from even 
a reasonably efficient school system for the rural sections. 

Summerland College 

Yet all of the counties of South Carolina cannot boast of a col¬ 
lege within her borders. Lexington County can feel proud that 
she has such an institution to which to send her youth. Summer- 
land College was founded in 1912 by the Lutheran Synod of South 
Carolina as a college for women. Under the efficient manage¬ 
ment and leadership of Dr. P. E. Monroe it has made much pro¬ 
gress. The grounds and buildings are valued at $200,000. Within 
the last year a new dormitory has been built at a cost of $70,000. 

Summerland College is situated about mid-way between Lees- 
ville and Batesburg on the Southern Railroad, near the Columbia 
and Augusta Highway. 

Agriculture 

A considerable discussion of advances along agricultural lines 
has been made in a preceding paragraph on wealth. But a few of 
the main facts may be noted here. Our county is almost entirely 
a farmers’ county, and the farmers of most any county or nation 
form the backbone of its citizenship. Upon their efforts and pros¬ 
perity depend to a great extent the progress of the county. 

Lexington ranks as one of the best cotton growing counties in 


78 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


the state, although the county now is one of those hit the hardest 
by the boll weevil. Our farmers raised in 1920, an average of 258 
pounds of cotton per acre in cultivation. This gives Lexington 
a rank of 13th. Our corn crop for 1920 was 607,820 bushels, a rank 
of 17th. The value of all crops per acre in 1920 was $32. Here 
Lexington has a rank of 21st. For 1920 the per capita crop value 
in the county was $134.10, or a rank of 20th. If these figures be 
compared with those of ten years or more ago, we will see that 
they are encouraging. 

In comparing the figures for 1910 and those for 1920, we find that 
our farmers are much richer in improved farm lands, farm build¬ 
ings, farm machinery and implements. 

The program in agriculture that interests us most at the present 
time is the progress that our farmers have made in turning from 
cotton growing to the raising of other agricultural products. 
Among many of our farmers this change is slow, but we believe 
it is sure. We can already see it in operation, and we can see its 
good effects. Many of the fields on which nothing but cotton had 
been grown for years, we now see in corn and wheat. Many acres 
of various kinds of truck are not an uncommon sight in Lexington 
County. Many of our farmers, especially in the sand hills of the 
county, arc turning their attention to the growing of peaches and 
melonj. Large peach orchards can be seen in various sections of 
the county. It is not uncommon to hear people speak of Lex¬ 
ington County melons as the best that can be produced. 

With tne introduction of these other crops, our farmers are get¬ 
ting from the soil a better living, and this means greater pros¬ 
perity for the whole county. 

During the last two years of boll weevil destruction, the farmers 
have been learning how to grow cotton at a profit with this insect 
in their midst. They have learned that is is better and easier to 
cultivate a few acres at a handsome profit, than to try to cultivate 
many acres with much hard work at a loss. The farmers are 
learning of the most effective poison methods to use for this weevil 
pest, and the proper attention to give their cotton during its 
growth, so as to make it yield a good crop. The farmers of Lex¬ 
ington County are working and their progress is being seen. 

Roads 

Lexington County has made great advancement in highway im¬ 
provement. This improvement has not been limited to the main 
highways, but the less traveled country roads are being rebuilt 
and repaired. Lexington County has two of the leading high¬ 
ways of the state crossing her borders; the Columbia and Augusta 



Lexington County : Economic and Social 79 

highway, and the Columbia and Hendersonville highway. Both 
of these highways have recently been made sand-clay roads. Dur¬ 
ing the year 1921 the Columbia and Augusta road was rebuilt at 
a cost of $138,207.47, the average cost per mile being $3,358.80. 
This highway is of the sand-clay type and with the proper re¬ 
pairs from time to time will give many years of valuable service 
to the people of Lexington County and to many from without 
her borders. The highway from Columbia to Hendersonville, 
passing through the Dutch Fork section of Lexington County, 
has been completed within the last year. It is of the sand-clay 
type, well graded and well drained. With necessary improvement 
for wear and tear it will render many years of valuable service to 
the traveling public. 

In 1921, there were approximately 20 miles of gravel top-soil 
and sand-clay roads constructed in Lexington County. Prior to 
1921, there had been built only about 11 miles of such roads in the 
county. The total mileage of all types constructed up to January 
1, 1922, amounted to 31. The Columbia and Augusta highway and 
the Columbia and Hendersonville highways were constructed with 
state aid. 

It is difficult to estimate the amount spent by the county in 
building and repairing the roads of less importance. These roads 
have been receiving a valuable amount of attention nearly all over 
the county. New roads have been built, old roads repaired, and 
many small bridges constructed. Lexington County should not 
forget that greater advancement for her people in every way 
means better roads. It has been said that good roads take the 
country into the city, and the city into the country. Improved 
highways mean a better market for produce, better educational 
advantages for the country boy and girl, better social life for the 
country family, and higher attainments for the people in every 
way. It has been estimated that a ten horse load on a loose sand 
or mud road is a five horse load on a loose gravel or dirt road, 
or a two horse load on a good gravel road, or a one horse load 
on a concrete road, or a one-sixth horse load on iron plates or rails. 

Lexington County has had a vision of the value of good roads. 
She is begining to realize the economic and social necessity of 
improved highways. She is realizing that every dollar invested in 
improving and building highways is a dollar well invested. Lex¬ 
ington County is well traversed by railroads. The Columbia, 
Newberry and Laurens Railroad serves the Dutch Fork section 
of the county, and the Augusta division of the Southern serves 
that portion of the county between Broad and Saluda rivers. 


80 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


With good railroad facilities and good highways in all sections of 
the county, progress is bound to come. 

Home Demonstration Work 

Lexington is not lacking in home demonstration work. Dr. Sea¬ 
man A. Knapp, the great agricultural philosopher, was the first 
to establish demonstration work. It was first intended for farmers 
and their sons. After he had successfully organized this work, 
he carried it on to the girls. The real work among girls began 
in 1910, when the firt “Tomato Club” was organized in Aiken 
County. From this small beginning, home demonstration work 
has grown until it now includes work in gardening, poultry, dairy¬ 
ing, sewing, canning, food preparation, marketing, household 
management, child welfare, home furnishing and beautifying the 
home and grounds. 

The farm home is a vital part of the farm. The business of 
farming is a family matter. The wife is a very necessary partner 
in the business. Heretofore much attention has been given to 
the farm and the farmer, but relatively little to the farmer’s wife 
and the home. Lexington County has realized the need of helping 
the home and the wife. Home demonstration work during the 
past year was conducted in general through Girls’ Home Demon¬ 
stration Clubs. In the girls’ clubs they are taught canning and 
gardening, sewing, cooking, and poultry. They were met at 
schoolhouses about once a month, by the County Home Demon¬ 
stration Agent, Miss Annie Caughman. Outlined courses of in¬ 
struction were followed, and lectures given on various lines of 
home work. The creed of these girls’ clubs is worthy of a place 
in this study; “We believe in training the head to think, to plan 
and to reason; in training the hands to be helpful, skillful, and 
useful; in training the heart to be kind, sympathetic, and true; in 
caring for the health to give us power to enjoy life, to resist 
disease and to make us more efficient.” When all girls are able 
to live up to this creed in the fullest, then a dyspeptic will be out 
of fashion, a humble home will be a palace, and the grounds sur¬ 
rounding the home will be a paradise. 

The work of the clubs for women is carried on practically the 
same way as the girls’ clubs. In these clubs more attention is 
paid to the problems of the individual. Also, they take up more 
of the phases of the home. Our County Home Demonstration 
Agent is a frequent visitor in many of the homes in the county. 
She teaches the mothers and the wives how to keep the family 
healthy; how to do more work in fewer hours with less fatigue; 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 81 


how to care for the baby; how to prepare meals, and many of the 
other activities of the home that help to make it a real home. 

Lexington County has made much progress in home demonstra¬ 
tion work. A dollar invested in this work is well invested. It 
means a better home, and better homes means a better county. 

Farm Demonstration Work 

As much or more progress has been made in farm demonstra¬ 
tion work. Just as the home is a part of the farm, so the farm 
is part of the farm-home. The farm demonstration work in Lex¬ 
ington County is carried on along the lines suggested by the Agri¬ 
culture Extension Service of South Carolina, with headquarters 
at Clemson College. The Extension Service has outlined a very 
good program. With the assistance and advice of County Demon¬ 
stration Agent, Mr. James Shealy, the farmers of Lexington Coun¬ 
ty are becoming more and more educated in their profession. 
This work is carried on along two lines—soil building and crop 
growing, and cattle raising. Farmers are taught soil-building 
through the use of leguminous crops and crop rotation. To get 
a better and greater production they are taught the skillful selec¬ 
tion of purebred seed. The farmer is also encouraged in cattle 
and hog raising. Here he is taught to improve his livestock by 
the use of pure bred sires. 

The Farm Demonstration Agent also serves somewhat as a vet¬ 
erinarian. He treats the farmers’ sick livestock. He inoculates 
for contagious diseases among cattle and hogs. This one phase 
of farm demonstration work has meant much to the farmers of 
Lexington County. Many dollars have been made because of im¬ 
proved stock, and many dollars have been saved by the inocula¬ 
tion and treatment of diseases among stock. 

Where Lexington Leads 

There are forty-six counties in South Carolina, and we can fairly 
say that Lexington leads where there are not over fifteen counties 
that have a higher rank. The figures are for 1920, except where 
otherwise indicated. The rank of Lexington is as follows: 

3rd—In literacy, with an illiteracy percentage of_ 12.5 

Pickens stands first with 10.7 per cent; Berkeley 
County stands last with 38.4 per cent. 

15th—In native white illiterates, males of 21 years of 

age and over- 6.7 

Charleston County stands first with 1.7 per cent; 
Chesterfield County stands last with 17.3 per cent. 




82 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


13th—In number of farms___4,816 

Anderson County stands first with 8,910; Jasper 
County stands last with 1,282. 

9th—In percentage of farm tenancy ___ 46.2 

Beaufort stands first with 14.9; Marlboro stands 
last with 85.6. 

12th—In total farm wealth_$24,712,046 

Anderson County stands first with $61,635,823; 

Jasper County stands last with $4,255,029. 

2nd—In amount spent for implements and machinery 

on improved lands per acre - $10.65 

Anderson County stands first with $11.69; Barn¬ 
well County comes last with $3.84. 

11th—In percentage of church membership _ 76 

Barnwell County stands .first; Colleton County 
comes last with 54. 

1st—In bushels of wheat per capita_ 1.9 

Berkeley and Jasper have no percentage. 

3rd—In pounds of poultry per capita in South Carolina 13 

Saluda leads with 15.4; Charleston County last 
with 2.6. 

8th—In value of live stock products per person_ $16.27 

Edgefield County leads with $22.06; Charleston 
County last with $1.71. 

13th—In cotton production in pounds per acre _ 258 

Marlboro County leads with 336. 

15th—In number of textile establishments _ 3 

Spartanburg County leads with 31; several coun¬ 
ties have no textile establishments. 

12th—In number of automobiles and trucks_ 2,542 

Greenville County leads with 6,726; Jasper County 
last with 228. 

5th—In number of inhabitants per automobile_ 14.1 

Greenville County leads with 11.8; Berkeley Coun¬ 
ty last with 60.3. 

3rd—In tons of hay and forage produced_ 17,869 

Orangeburg County leads with 19,869; Jasper 
County last with 1,835. 








X. 


LEXINGTON COUNTY PROBLEMS 


J. E. Stockman. 


It is the purpose of this chapter to bring some of the problems 
of Lexington County to the attention of our people. It is true 
that in any county we will find people who live in almost com¬ 
plete ignorance as to the conditions which surround them and 
affect the life of their community and State, and also their own. 
personal life and comforts. This study will be instructive and 
helpful also to those of the county who are in a measure already 
acquainted with the problems of the county. 

If Lexington County had no problems of great importance and 
vital interest to the welfare of our county and State, then there 
would be no need of this survey or discussion. But Lexington 
County does have her problems to wrestle with and the more we 
know about them the better we can handle them. They cannot 
be solved without the cooperation of all men and women of every 
line of work and station in life. But with this united effort we 
can blot out many of our shartcomings, and reach a very high 
standard of efficiency. A county can only be judged by what she 
has and what she does. Our county should have those things that 
are for the best interest and welfare of her people, and not have 
those things that are too markedly below the levels of perfection. 
She should do those things that count for the best of her people, 
and leave undone those things that are a hindrance to greater ad¬ 
vancement toward the ideal county. 

Education 

Of all the problems that are facing the people of Lexington 
County, the writer is willing to say that the educational problem 
is the greatest. When a county ranks at or near the bottom of 
all the counties in the state in several of her educational factors, 
and that same state ranks at the bottom in educational efficiency, 
there is surely room for improvement in the educational facilities 
of that county. Of course in some ways we have better educa¬ 
tional facilities than some other counties in the state. But taking 
it as a whole, our educational system is far from adequate. 




84 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


There are educational facts concerning Lexington County that 
we may feel proud of. For instance, the 1920 Census gives Lex¬ 
ington County a rank of third in the State, with 12.S per cent illit¬ 
eracy. Only two other counties have a less percentage of illiter¬ 
acy, Greenville and Pickens. In 1910 the illiteracy for Lexington 
County was 19.7, indicating a reduction of 7.2 per cent, a very en¬ 
couraging decrease. 

In 1910 there were in Lexington County 1,065 or 7.2 per cent of 
the white people, ten years or more of age, that could not write 
their names. In 1920 there were 854 native whites, ten years or 
more of age, in the county that could not write their names. 
This shows a reduction of 211, or 19.8 per cent. 

In 1920 there were in Lexington County 8,282 negroes ten years 
or more of age. Of this number 2,335, or 28.2 per cent, were illit¬ 
erate. In 1910 for the same age there were 8,034 negroes in the 
county, and 3,148 or 39.2 per cent were illiterate. We can never 
hope to reach a very high degree of moral and mental efficiency 
among the negroes until we have better school facilities. The 
education of the negro in Lexington County has been sadly neg¬ 
lected in the past. 

But how can illiteracy be eliminated? The majority of our il¬ 
literates are grown men and women. We need not expect to get 
this class of people in school.* Also we need not expect illiterate 
parents to be very much interested in seeing that their children 
get an education. Yet if we want to drive illiteracy out of Lex¬ 
ington County, these classes of children must go to school and it 
is up to the men and women who enjoy an education, maybe only 
an elementary education, to see that the children of school age go, 
either through persuasion or legislation.. The Compulsory Attend¬ 
ance Law, if it is made to function, is the greatest educational 
asset that has ever come to South Carolina. Let us help to en¬ 
force it. « 

Most illiterate people are sensitive of their condition and it is 
only through the schools and churches that this class of population 
can be reached and helped. The work of the State Illiteracy Com¬ 
mission in South Carolina in the organization of adult schools has 
been very beneficial. So far Lexington County has no such 
schools. Surely we cannot overlook the hundreds in our county 
who cannot read or write, and pass them by in their unlearned 
condition. 

‘ 

Teachers’ Salaries 

Another factor in our educational problem in Lexington County 
that deserves special attention, is our poorly paid teachers. We 



Lexington County : Economic and Social 85 


pay our teachers less than any county in the state. In 1920 white 
men teachers received on the average $537.60 per year. For the 
same year we paid our white women teachers on the average 
$385.38. During the same year, we paid our colored men teachers 
on the average $92.50 per year, and colored women teachers on the 
average $105.58 for the year. We are glad that these* conditions 
improved a little in the year 1921. 

Can we have efficient teachers in all our schools at such salaries? 
We cannot. And even if we could, is it right to call upon a very 
highly select class to make such a sacrifice in order that we may 
have good schools? Again, I say it is not. 

It is true that in any business enterprise or line of work those 
that pay their employees most get the best workers and the best 
service. In a poorly paying position, you usually find that the 
one filling that position is not very efficient. If such is true in 
other lines of labor it is true among our school teachers. Those 
counties that pay their teachers most have the best teachers. 
Lexington County has some efficient teachers laboring in her 
schools, but taking the county as a whole and applying the same 
principles as we would to the business concern, then our county 
must have some of the least efficient teachers in the state. 

Farm Tenancy 

Farm tenancy is another one of Lexington County’s big prob¬ 
lems. This is also a state problem. Only two other states have 
a greater percentage of farm tenancy—Mississippi, with a percent¬ 
age of 66; Georgia, with a percentage of 66.6; and South Carolina 
standing third with a percentage of 64.5. This means that out of 
every one hundred farms 64.5 are operated by renters or croppers. 
Lexington County ranks 38th among the counties of the state ac¬ 
cording to the 1920 Census, with a percentage of 46.2. We should 
be glad that this percentage is as low as it is, because it is a self- 
evident fact that the man who owns his own farm will take a 
greater interest in his work, his home and community. He vdll 
work to build up the fertility of the soil and to make its produc¬ 
tion greater. Of our county population, 63.7 per cent are white, 
and 43.4 per cent of our tenants are whites. The negro popula¬ 
tion totals 36.3 per cent and they operate 56.6 per cent of our 
farms. We see from these figures that farm tenancy is too high 
even among the whites, for the best interests of community and 
state. This affair can only be remedied by a closer cooperation 
between the banker and the tenant farmer. The United States 
Government is doing much to help our farmers by loaning them 
money through the Federal Land Bank. This system of borrow- 


86 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


ing money and thereby owning farms is the salvation of the tenant 
farmer. 

Farm tenancy in Lexington County is on the increase. During 
the last ten years it increased 2.1 per cent. Let us guard against 
the danger of our farmers becoming tenant farmers. If this in¬ 
crease is not checked in the course of a generation or two, Lex¬ 
ington County farm tenancy will be very high. It is the duty of 
every citizen to help and encourage white farm tenants to become 
farm owners. 

Live at Home 

The heading of this paragraph may be a little common place, 
but, nevertheless, it is a timely subject. In 1920 man and beast 
of Lexington County consumed $6,754,354 worth of food and feed; 
whereas, they produced food and feed supplies amounting to 
$4,036,849, or failed to produce $2,717,505 worth of our necessary 
food and feed supplies. This is a pretty high figkre for a county 
with a rather small population, and mostly an agricultural county. 

It has been said that a wall could be built around Lexington 
County and nothing allowed to enter; still the people could live, 
because they can grow everything that is absolutely necessary to 
life. The figures just quoted do not seem to bear this statement 
out; yet it is about true. Not many of our people seem to realize 
it. Excluding all those inhabitants of the county not engaged in 
farming, still the farmers would be short of food and feed supplies 
to the extent of $230,781. 

The type of farming throughout the county and state snould be 
live at home, and this is found to be carried out pretty well in the 
Dutch Fork section of Lexington County. As the name indicates, 
these people are of Dutch and German descent and both are recog¬ 
nized to be a very thrifty class of people. Lexington County has 
the resources at hand to be a self-sufficing county, if she would 
only use them. What our farmers need to do is to grow more of 
their own food and feedstuffs and engage more in livestock farm¬ 
ing. That farmer in Lexington County who has to buy flour, 
meats of various kinds, lard, molasses, potatoes, vegetables, and 
certain fruits, is not a thrifty farmer, no matter how much cotton 
he tries to raise. Especially is this true at the present time when 
our farmers are fighting the boll weevil. A comfortable living 
can be raised on a farm when it may not be possible to grow over 
three small bales of cotton on the same farm. 

Here are things in which we were short in 1920 and this con¬ 
dition repeats itself practically every year: 76,655 pounds of meat. 
1,395,184 pounds of butter, 226,697 fowls, 94, 453 dozen eggs, 498,- 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 


87 


136 bushels of corn, and 74,548 bushels of wheat. These figures 
are startling for a county so small and almost entirely rural. 
Until our farmers can get away from the idea of “cotton or no 
living,” we will continue as a whole to be a poor class of people. 
The greatest act of help and deed of kindness that our county de¬ 
monstration agents and other interested people can render to the 
farming class of people in Lexington County is to get them inter¬ 
ested in living at home. 

One reason for such conditions in Lexington County is the land¬ 
lord and farm tenant. In the past the tenant has raised only cot¬ 
ton, because his landlord would accept only cotton as rent. The 
tenant, especially the negro tenant, has only raised cotton, not even 
a pig or scarcely a bushel of corn. A new system of renting and 
cropping must be worked out between the tenant and the land¬ 
lord. This new method of renting or cropping must give the 
tenant an opportunity to grow some food and feed products. 
When tenancy is decreased, production will be increased. When 
cotton acreage is decreased, food production will be increased. 
Lexington can be made a county in which not a dollar goes out 
of her borders for food and feed, except for the few minor articles 
that will not grow on her soil. 

Marketing 

This is another problem that comes right along with the ques¬ 
tion of raising more food and feed supplies. Where shall we mar¬ 
ket our surplus when there is such? It is useless to think that 
farmers will produce food and feed supplies to meet their own 
needs, and then have some to sell, if there is no ready market for 
such products. We need not expect the majority of our farmers 
to get out and sell their produce by peddling it out to the con¬ 
sumers, as a few do. It is true that the farmers of Lexington 
County can raise everything that he needs to feed himself and 
stock, and he can do more than this; he can raise food and feed 
supplies to put on the market. Some marketing association is 
needed that will take the farmer’s produce and sell it for him at 
a fair price. This will mean more to the producer and to the con¬ 
sumer. 

Such a marketing system will require the cooperation of the 
farmers and all the business men of the county to organize and 
operate it. We have the South Carolina Cotton Growers’ Mar¬ 
keting Association which is a lifesaver to the cotton growers of 
the State. This association will handle the farmers cotton, but 
Lexington County must grow other crops besides cotton, and then 
she must have a place to sell these other crops. 


88 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


Many millions of dollars have been lost by the farming class 
of people as a result of uneconomic and poor methods of market¬ 
ing. Many European countries have recognized the evil practises 
in marketing and have organized cooperative marketing for most 
of their products. California has led the way in cooperative mar¬ 
keting, and California is one of the most progressive states in the 
Union. Not only is cooperative marketing necessary for the big 
crops, but it is necessary for marketing all produce that we have 
to put on the market. 

Cooperative marketing by the growers, if it accomplishes its 
objects, will cause saving between the growing and the consuming 
of the commodity where loss or unnecessary waste now occurs. 
In other words, a cooperative marketing association of growers 
will do those things necessary to marketing which are not now 
being done efficiently and will reinforce those things which are 
now being done properly. 

Boll Weevil 

Surely this insect is a problem that Lexington County has on 
her hands, and she must in some way meet it. For the sake of 
information we shall look a little into the history of this pest. 
The cotton boll weevil is not a native of Lexington County or of 
the United States. Its first home was probably in the plateau 
region of Mexico or Central America. Previous to 1892 the insect 
had spread through much of Mexico but little is known regarding 
the extent or rapidity of this dispersion. By 1921 the insect had 
spread itself over most of the cotton belt. At the end of that 
year over 600,000 square miles of territory had been infested by 
the boll weevil, leaving only about 105,000 square miles of cotton 
producing territory uninfested. Practically 85 per cent of the 
area now infested produces 94.6 per cent of the cotton crop of the 
cotton belt of the United States. Lexington County is in this boll 
weevil district, and cotton has been our chief crop in the past. It 
must continue to be one of our leading crops, and the problem 
is how to raise cotton successfully under boll weevil conditions. 

The losses caused by the boll weevil are both direct and indirect, 
and extend throughout practically the entire financial and econo¬ 
mic structure of the cotton belt. These losses are felt very seri¬ 
ously in Lexington County. It is impossible to estimate the losses 
due to depreciated land values, closing down of cotton gins, oil 
mills and other indirect failures caused by the invasion of this 
pest. All estimates of losses have been made entirely on the basis 
of the direct loss in non-production of cotton and seed. The Bu¬ 
reau of Crop Estimates of the United States Department of Agri- 



Lexington County : Economic and Social 89 


culture for 1920 estimates an annual loss for the last four years of 
about $300,000,000. Lexington County shared her full part in this 
loss during the last two years. 

A significant and authoritative statement on boll weevil control 
has been issued as a deliverance from the Association of Southern 
Agricultural Workers. The report as submitted by a committee 
of this Association was adopted in February unanimously by the 
convention at Memphis, Tenn., which included in its membership 
the agricultural colleges, the state departments of agriculture and 
other educational and also commercial organizations interested in 
the progress of agriculture in the South. The statements with 
some abbreviation follows: 

1. Even under the most intelligent farming conditions boll 
weevil infestation increases the risk in cotton production. There¬ 
fore, of first importance is a live-at-home-program, with some¬ 
thing to sell besides cotton. 

2. Even though an ample supply of poison is available at a rea¬ 
sonable cost, probably not ten per cent of the cotton acreage of 
the South would be poisoned by any of the known methods. 
Therefore, those proven cultural methods which tend to insure 
greater production and give indirect aid in controlling the weevil 
damage cannot be too strongly stressed. These include: 

(a) The use of well drained, fertile soil. 

(b) Good seed of standard early maturing varieties. 

(c) The use of ample seed in order to insure a good stand. 

(d) Closer spacing than under non-boll weevil conditions. 

(e) Intensive careful cultivation. 

(f) Liberal fertilization to induce quick growth and stimulate 
early maturity. 

(g) Where practicable the early destruction of cotton stalks 
in the fall and of hibernating places in the fields. 

In addition to the above, when poisoning is not contemplated, 
and inexpensive labor is available, the picking up and destruction 
of all punctured and infested squares for a period of 30 days will 
prove beneficial. 

3. This committee recommends the calcium arsenate dusting 
method in case of poisoning. This method has been found pro¬ 
fitable only on lands capable of producing one-third to one-half 
bale per acre. It requires a maximum of calcium arsenate, and 
must be applied at night by the use of machinery. 

4. The molasses arsenate treatment is claimed by many South 
Carolina farmers to be a very decisive measure of control. This 
method seems to do its best work when the cotton plant is very 
young. 


90 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


5. The committee also recommends the Florida method of dust¬ 
ing. This method seems to have proven a success in Florida, and 
warrants thorough testing in South Carolina. It seems to be 
better adapted to lands of less productivity than the other method. 

6. The committee concludes its report by saying that the solu¬ 
tion of any great scientific problem such as boll weevil control 
is likely to be the work of many scientists extending over a period 
of years and at an expenditure of considerable money. Prompt 
and adequate support of experiment station projects along this 
line by the legislatures of cotton states is an essential element in 
the early solution of this, the most important problem, confront¬ 
ing the cotton growers of the South. 

Cotton can be grown under boll weevil conditions. It has been 
done in our county and others. It is necessary that the South re¬ 
main as a whole, a cotton growing section. Lexington County 
must raise some cotton, and she must not raise it at a profit. 
This can be done. We may not be able to raise it on such a large 
scale as in the past, but we have other crops to make up for the 
deficit. The farmer must learn to raise some cotton under boll 
weevil conditions, and he must learn to raise food and feed stuffs; 
then the boll weevil problem will be solved. 

Diversification of Crops 

A few words should be said about the diversification of crops 
in Lexington County. This may not have been a problem in the 
past when cotton could be raised at a profit with comparatively 
little effort. With the boll weevil, and the less cotton acreage, 
other crops are finding a place on our farms. Such conditions 
make diversification a problem. 

Rotation means that the crops grown on each field are changed 
from time to time. Practically every farmer does change crops 
occasionally. Still, we have farms on which nothing but cotton 
has been grown for years. Sooner or later, all farmers will come 
to practise some rotation. The advantages of having a variety 
of crops are often confused with the advantages that come from 
crop rotation. Diversification of crops keeps the laborer employed 
the year around; it provides for cash crops and crops to feed; it 
prevents total failure when one crop fails. All these advantages 
may be had when each of the several crops grows on the same 
field continuously. 

While a small number of crops is better than a single crop, yet 
it is not well to have too many nor too small areas of each. In 
order to grow Irish potatoes profitably, one needs to have special 


Lexington County : Economic and Social 


91 


machinery, such as a planter, a digger, and a sprayer. One can 
not afford to have these without enough acres of potatoes to jus¬ 
tify the buying of them. The same is true concerning many other 
crops that we may grow. These remarks do not apply to the 
raising of small quantities of vegetables and fruits for home use. 

The choice of crops is much more than a question of which crop 
will give the most net profit per acre. Corn may pay better than 
oats, yet it may be wise to continue to grow oats, because the 
farmer can raise all the corn that he has time to cultivate and har¬ 
vest, and raise some oats also. Most of the work on the oat crop 
comes at a time when the corn crop does not require attention. The 
general principle is that the farmer should have work for the en¬ 
tire year. Each day he should do the kind of work that pays best 
on that day, altho it may be much less profitable than work that 
he might do at some other time. The same principle applies in 
all occupations. 

In choosing what crops to grow, it is well to follow the advice 
of your county farm demonstration agent; also to follow the prac¬ 
tice of the best farmers in the section until a good start has been 
made. Changes may then be introduced gradually. 

Lexington County must sooner or later come to this system 
of farming and the sooner the better. This system of farming 
gives the farmer the chance to grow food and feed stuffs, and that 
is one of our county’s crying needs today. 

Law and Order 

In concluding this study, we will briefly discuss the greatest 
problem that Lexington faces, the problem of law and order. It 
is not a question of more laws, it is a question of carrying out 
those that we now have. When this problem of law and order 
has been properly faced, then many of our other problems will be 
things of the past. Because so long as the citizenship of any 
county is made up so largely of men who have no regard for law, 
morals, or the happiness of others, crime will be very common 
among its peole. 

In some respects Lexington County is a very good county. For 
instance, for crime against property, Lexington shows the least 
number of commitments per 10,000 population. For crimes against 
the public good, Lexington again has the least number of commit¬ 
ments. The total for the year 1920 was eight out of every 10,000 
persons. Richland, our sister county, shows the greatest number 
with 75 persons out of every 10,000 in the county violating some 
law against the public welfare. According to the records of the 
Bureau of Vital Statistics for South Carolina, there were £48 peo- 


92 Lexington County : Economic and Social 


pie killed in 1920. It is a deplorable fact that 248 people should 
be killed each year at the hand of their fellowmen in a small state 
like South Carolina. Lexington County for the year 1920 had 
four homicides or a rank of 18th in the State. Comparatively, 
these figures and others that could be quoted are pleasing to the 
law abiding citizens of our county. The way in which the prohi¬ 
bition law is being broken in Lexngton County makes our county 
a dark spot. It is being remarked about by out of the county peo¬ 
ple in such a way that we often hear it commented on, and some¬ 
times see statements in our newspapers concerning the prohibition 
law in Lexington County, that makes a good loyal citizen of that 
county feel bad. 

The breaking of one law affects the whole morals of the people. 
The morals are lowered; the rights of others are not respected; 
human life becomes less sacred; honesty and uprightness are 
trampled down, and everybody feels the ill effect of living in a 
community in which law and order do not prevail. It is the duty 
of every person of Lexington County to take a stand for law and 
order, and' to put forth every effort in bringing the law-breakers 
before the court of justice. When men are punished for their 
crime, there will be more respect for law. To make a law effective, 
it must have enforcement. Lexington County has plenty of laws, 
but those laws are not being properly enforced. 

Loyal Lexingtonians, look at our county’s record in the past. 
It’s almost clean. Shall this fine record be blackened and smeared 
with the crimes of a class of people who have no regard for the 
rights and happiness of others? Let us unite our efforts in the 
support of our officers of the law and not rest until law and order 
is permanently returned to Lexington County. 

A. Few of Our Problems 

29th—In percentage of white schools that are one- 

teacher schools, 1921 _____ 

Dillon County leads with 4; Georgetown last with 
25.75. 

39th—In average length of session in days for white 

rural schools, 1921 _______ 

Charleston County leads with 180 days; Cherokee 
County last with 96 days. 

40th—In average salaries paid white women school 

teachers per "year, 1921 ___ 

Charleston County leads with $1,131.22; Berkeley 
County last with $453^03. 

42nd—In average length of session in days in white 


33.33 


118 


$579.50 











Lexington County : Economic and Social 93 

town schools, 1921 _ 159 

Sumter County leads with 170 days; Allendale 
County last with 149 days. 

45th—In average salaries paid white men teachers per 

year, 1921 --1___ $724.11 

Beaufort County leads with $2,044.82; Berkeley 
County last with $684.53. 

3rd—In per cent of total illiteracy, 1920. 12.5 

Pickens County leads with 10.7; Berkeley last 
with 38.4. 

18th—In homicides on basis of number of per 100,000 

population, 1920 ___ 11.2 

Clarendon County leads with 0; Abbeville County 
last with 40.5. 

41st—In beef production in pounds per person, 1920. 7 

Beaufort County leads with 129.8; Greenville Coun¬ 
ty last with 3.6. 

19th—In per capita butter production (pounds) 1920. 9 

Cherokee County leads with 23.6; Cherleston 
County last with 0.1. 

17th—In annual pork production per capita in pounds 

1920 ___ 87.9 

Horry County leads with 78.7; Union County last 
with 47.0. 

25th—In bushels of wheat raised per acre, 1920. 7.5 

Dillon County leads with 13; Marlboro County 
last with 1.4. 

34th—In increase per acre, 1920 - 14.7 

Marlboro County leads with 28; Jasper County 
last with 8.1. 

24th—In increase in number of cattle 1910 to 1920- 17 

Dillon County leads with 1.09; some counties made 
no increase. 

38th—In per cent of farm tenancy, 1920 - 46.2 

Marlboro County leads with 85.6; Beaufort Coun¬ 
ty last with 14.9. 

21st—In negro decrease in ratio of total population, 

1910 to 1920 ....._...... 3.4 

Greenwood County leads with 9.4; some counties 
increased. 

27th—In per cent that assessed value of land per acre 

is to census value, 1920 --- 11.7 

Jasper County leads with 22.7; Clarendon County 
last with 7.2. 







































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